Swept Away
by prettygirlattheairport
Summary: Charlotte left town after her life fell apart and decided to start new in Atlanta. What she didn't expect was to find herself in the middle of a love triangle. (AU. Rated M for language, steamy scenes, & mature subject matter. Roman/OC/Dean) ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

I am very new to fan fiction and especially to writing steamy scenes, so hopefully this is at least decent! I would really appreciate feedback: let me know where you would like to see the story go, anything I can improve, what you do/don't like. The more reviews/follows, the more chapters I will post up! Also, feel free to PM me. I'm new to the community! *waves* Anyway! Enjoy.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE**

_I need this! I deserve this._

She swallowed down a shot of bourbon with her two best friends, Dani and Sam. It burned down her throat but made her feel alive. She felt bold, happy and free.

Two years prior, Charlotte's life had been on the brink of collapsing. It wasn't until she reached her lowest point that she was able to climb up and out of the wreckage that had held her down for so long. When her breaking point finally came, she responded by packing her most important possessions and leaving everything else behind. She had moved to Atlanta, Georgia by herself and created a new life.

It hadn't been easy, but she had managed to work a few random jobs to stay afloat and made a few great friends. Now, here she was, days away from starting a promising new job, out with her best friends, and feeling free for the first time in a long time.

She had lost count of how many drinks she had consumed but she continued to down one after another. Her friends danced beside her as the night went on. It was in the third bar they had entered that she saw those beautiful grey eyes. They were impossible to miss.

_Wow. _

Her breath had hitched when she saw him. Her arms had broken into goosebumps when he made eye contact with her. He was sitting in the corner booth with two other men. His black polo shirt pulled tight across his muscular build, making her mouth practically water. His long, dark hair was pulled into a messy bun on the back of his head. He brought his beer bottle up to his lips and she couldn't help but wish she could be so lucky to be in its place.

She approached the bar. "Whiskey sour, please."

"You can add that to my tab."

His low, guttural voice startled her a bit as he came up behind her. She glanced up at him to see him flashing a dazzling smile in her direction. _His smile is perfect. Who is this guy? A god? _He was much taller than he had seemed sitting in the booth as he stood beside her. She could smell his cologne and it intoxicated her, along with the alcohol.

"Thanks," She smiled shyly.

"I couldn't resist buying such a beautiful woman a drink."

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and down her neck. _Damn. He's smooth._

"Would you and your friends like to join us?" _This is brave, even for me._

He nodded, saying that he would be right back, as he gathered his friends from the table. Next thing she knew, their groups were intertwining. As her two best friends chatted with the other two handsome men, both of them shamelessly and drunkenly flirting. The entire time, she could feel his eyes watching her every move. She'd be lying if she said she minded it one bit.

"My name is Joe, by the way," His husky voice purred in her ear over the loud music. "What's your name, beautiful?"

"C-C-Charlotte. Charlie, if you like."

"What a lovely name."

She could feel her body being drawn to him as they exchanged casual conversation. The night got later and later and she felt herself become more bold and brave with every drink. At this point, she had probably consumed more than her body weight in whiskey, but she was having the time of her life. She would suffer the consequences tomorrow.

"Do you want to get out of here?"

She looked up at him. His eyes had turned a darker shade of grey, piercing down into her. _How is he so beautiful? _She nodded shyly. This bravery was unlike her, but she was excited, feeling the rush of the unknown. She let her friends know that she was leaving, suffered through a few "be careful" lines, and headed towards the entrance with her hand in Joe's.

"My apartment is a few blocks down… I can make us some drinks."

She giggled and nodded as they walked down the sidewalk. _Am I really about to do this?_

One thing led to another and before she knew it, she was on his couch, hands in his hair, straddling his waist. Their mouths met in that first passionate kiss and she knew the rest was history. Hands were everywhere, trying desperately to grab at each and every bit of skin available. She felt his hands on her waist, resting, occasionally pressing her down onto his hard groin.

Feeling bold, she reached up and slipped her black dress off her shoulders. It pooled down at her waist, leaving her upper body only covered by a lacy bra. _Thank God I wore my cute shit today. _She couldn't help but chuckle to herself at her drunken narrative, but was pulled out of her own thoughts as Joe growled against her neck, kissing along the bare skin.

"You are _beautiful._"

For a split second, she felt sober. She felt insecure and terrified. Her past relationship had left her with so many scars, so many reasons to not believe she was beautiful. She swallowed, pushing those thoughts down until she couldn't hear them anymore, and moaned as he unhooked her bra. It dropped to the floor and his mouth immediately attacked her nipples.

His tongue felt so amazing. So warm. So talented. She could only imagine what he could do with that tongue on the rest of her body.

Before she knew it, she was on top of him in nothing but her black, lacy panties. He had slipped his shirt over his head and she was amazed. She couldn't help but to stare. His muscles were to _die for._ She ran her hands all over his chest and biceps, enjoying the way his muscles felt underneath her.

Next thing she knew, he had lifted her up and her legs were wrapped around his waist. He was pressing her up against a wall, nipping softly at her breasts, causing her to moan. She watched him with lust-filled eyes as he reached into his wallet with one hand, placing a condom package in his mouth. He threw his wallet on the floor and unbuttoned his pants. They fell to the floor, leaving him pressed up against her in only his boxers. _Jesus Christ. This man is fucking huge. And how is he lifting me?! Is he going to drop me?! _She chuckled again at her inner narrative, earning a little smile from him. _He must think I'm so stupid._

Within seconds, all of her thoughts cleared when she felt him start to trust himself against her through his boxers. "Are you… sure you're okay with this?" His voice was deep and strong. His eyes were clouded over. He was the definition of sex.

She simply nodded, swallowing. _I can't believe I'm doing this._

Within seconds, he had pulled his boxers down and was placing the condom on his hard, erect member. If penises could be beautiful, she thought, his would take the prize. _Is that going to fit inside of me?_

He glanced up at her, gently moving her hair out of her face, and kissed her deeply. As he kissed her, he pulled her panties to the side and began to enter her. She leaned back, biting her lip and shutting her eyes tight. He was _huge. _He stretched her to the max, causing pain at the start. He went slow, gently resting inside of her until she adjusted. She nodded at him, signaling that it was okay to move. And then it began.

He was a god. She was sure of it. He had both hands on her hips, holding her up in the most effortless way. He lifted her up and down on his cock, thrusting in a perfect rhythm that drove her mad. It seemed like he went on forever. After a few minutes, he moved her over to the couch, laying her on her back. He pulled her panties down her legs and then entered her again. He pulled her by the hips against his cock, plunging so deep inside of her that she was seeing stars. All that could be heard throughout the apartment was their groans and heavy breathing accompanied by the sound of their bodies meeting. It was electrifying.

"You look _so_ fucking hot," He whispered to her through his heavy breathing. "The second I saw you, I wanted you."

She moaned at his voice. After a few short moments of him thrusting, she could feel her tension rising. Her stomach got so tight she could barely stand it. His mouth was on her nipples, deliciously biting and licking away at them. Suddenly she felt herself flying over the edge, unable to stop. She _screamed_ as her ecstasy took over, having undoubtedly the most fulfilling orgasm of her life. Within seconds, he was finishing too, grunting and moaning throughout. He sounded like heaven.

He leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers, not pulling out quite yet. They were both covered in a thin layer of sweat.

She looked into his beautiful grey eyes and for a split second, she felt like she could see into his soul. She felt like he had to have the most amazing story to tell. She wanted to know him, every part of him, but instead, she shook the thoughts out of her head and reminded herself what this was. Sex. That was it.

"_Wow._" He smirked at her.

She smiled, as he pulled out of her and excused himself to go clean up quick. She redressed herself quickly and grabbed her purse. She wasn't the type to do this. She had never had a one night stand before and suddenly panic was rushing through her body.

When he returned from the bathroom, he looked _delicious_. His jeans were hanging low on his hips, showing the little v-shaped path she had known so well only seconds ago. His hair was messy. He was still shirtless and she honestly couldn't believe how fucking _gorgeous _his body was. She hadn't noticed until then just how beautiful his skin was.

"I-I…. I think I'm going to go. This was great."

He looked confused, almost hurt. "Are you sure? I'd love for you to stay."

"Yeah, I should get home. Thanks, though." She gave him a small smile.

"At least let me call you a taxi. It's late," He said as he pulled his shirt over his head.

She nodded, as he reached for his phone.

She felt so awkward. One night stands weren't like her, and she was now coming to terms with the fact that she had just had sex with a stranger. _Amazing, unforgettable sex with a perfect human specimen, _she thought to herself, _but sex with a stranger nonetheless._


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

The following day, Dani and Sam had shown up at her apartment around noon. When she opened the door, they looked at her expectantly, as if waiting for all of the juicy details of the night before. Her face had immediately turned red and she turned away from them, walking towards the kitchen to avoid the inevitable questioning that was about to begin.

"Let me at least have coffee first, please. My head hurts."

"_Then, _you have some explaining to do…"

She had confessed everything to Dani and Sam. How gorgeous this man had looked naked, how good he was in bed, how he had lifted her up in his arms like she weighed nothing. They giggled and made jokes the entire time.

"I'm so jealous. I can't believe that of all of us, _you're the one _who got laid last night!" Dani exclaimed.

"Should I take that as an insult?"

"No, you're just… such a prude."

"I am _not _a prude!"

"Oh, come on!" Sam pitched in. "We have been trying to get you laid since you moved here. It took you two years. Talk about a dry spell."

"Y'all are bitches," Charlotte laughed.

Dani suddenly got a more serious look on her face. Charlotte knew what she was going to ask and she had been dreading it. "Not… trying to bring the past up, but how are you feeling? I mean, this is a pretty big deal after what happened."

Charlotte sighed.

"Surprisingly… I'm doing okay. I got kind of freaked out during, but I guess I was drunk enough to ignore it. More than anything? I'm just kind of sad about it. It was great, don't get me wrong." She fanned herself for effect. "I'm just not a one night stand kind of girl. I just keep hoping I will run into him again one day. I can't stop thinking about him."

"You'll get over it. At least you got some!" Sam laughed.

* * *

Joe struggled, pressing upwards to lift the barbell over his chest. When he had a lot on his mind, the gym was his therapy. He groaned, as he completed his last rep and let the weights come back down to their resting spot. He was covered in sweat and exhausted. It had been a good work out with Seth.

"So…" Joe looked over at Seth, one of his best friends. Seth had just finished too, and had sat down on a bench near Joe. He wiped his neck off with a towel and took a swig of his drink. "What's been on your mind lately? It's like you haven't been all there."

"It's nothing."

"It's obviously… something."

"It's just stupid," Joe groaned. He hung his head a bit, frustrated. "Remember that girl from the bar?"

"The one you took home?"

"Yeah."

"What about her?"

Joe shook his head, mostly at himself. "Dude, I can't get her out of my mind. It had… been a while, for me. I don't know what happened but I just had to make a move on her. Ever since, she's all I can think about. I didn't even have a chance to get her number or her last name before she left."

"Wait, _she _left?"

"Yeah! It was crazy. It was like she couldn't wait to get out of there."

"I mean, was it good? Do you think she didn't have a good time?"

"Nah, man," Joe shook his head. "It was perfect. It was the best I've had in a long time. _She _was perfect. I just don't understand."

"Maybe she's just that type."

"Yeah, I guess so… I just wish there was a way for me to find her."

* * *

It had been almost a week. Joe still crossed Charlotte's mind every once in a while, but for the most part, she was so caught up in preparing to start her new job that she didn't even think about it. She had been hired on as an administrative assistant for a marketing company based out of Atlanta. The office was only a few blocks from her apartment and it was a huge pay raise for her, so she was both nervous and excited.

Today was the big day. She sighed as she looked in the mirror. Some days were harder than others for Charlotte. Some days the insecurities and scars from her past would rise up, try to overtake her. She tried to push them aside for today, but she couldn't help but be judgmental of the reflection she saw in the mirror.

She wore a teal silk blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt that hit right above the knee. She wore her hair up in a messy but professional bun, sitting high on her head. Her make-up was simple, as she wasn't a flashy girl; she wore just a little bit of eyeliner and mascara with some highlighter to make her look fresh. She dabbed a bit of sheer pink lip gloss on her lips. Next, she slipped on some black kitten heels and threw her black blazer on, as it was September and a chill was starting to set in.

She grabbed her bag from her kitchen table and took a deep breath.

_This is it. Make today your bitch._

* * *

She exited the elevator on the tenth floor and tried to control her breathing. She was greeted by the receptionist at the front desk who gave her a tour of the building. It was nice – open, white walls, modern furniture with little pops of color here and there – much nicer than any other place she had ever worked. After the tour, the receptionist showed her to her office and said someone would be with her in a minute to brief her.

Her office was incredible. It was a small room, with its own door for privacy. Her desk was sleek and modern. Everything was black and white. Her chair felt like heaven and she couldn't help but do a little spin in it, excited to have a "big girl" job for once. _Maybe college actually will pay off._

She took the succulent plant and paperweight that Sam and Dani had bought her and placed them on her desk with a smile. She placed her favorite pen in the pen holder and put her brand new notebook on the desk top (she couldn't pass up the opportunity to buy cute office supplies).

She was startled by a knock on the door.

"Come in!"

She stood up as the door opened and a tall, dark skinned man walked in. "Hi, I'm Matthew, I'm the head of this department," He reached his hand out to shake hers. "You're actually going to be assisting my brother but he hasn't made it here yet. He had a meeting this morning. Anyway, I'll show you around the department and get you started…"

* * *

Since it was her first day, she decided to work through her lunch break to get extra work done. She had never had a job like this before but she figured that working ahead would make a good first impression on her boss. Matthew had told her that his brother should be arriving at the office a little after lunch, so she was working hard to get the majority of her work done before then.

The work was easy, so far. Lots of reports, filing, and computer work. To most, it would have been boring but for Charlotte it was kind of fun. It kept her mind busy. It kept her thoughts from getting out of hand like they tended to.

As she finished up her last report for the day, she headed to the copy room to make a copy to put on her boss' desk. Her assignment for the day had been to gather some paperwork to deliver to him and she was already almost finished.

She wasn't looking where she was going as she rounded the corner to her boss' office and before she could avoid it – _Smack! -_ Right into somebody. She wasn't used to walking in heels and the impact made her lose her balance. Her ankle twisted and before she knew it, she had fallen right on her ass and her papers had went flying everywhere.

_Good job, Charlotte. You're going to be the joke of the entire office any day now._

She huffed, trying to pick up all of her papers and maintain any bit of dignity that she had left. "I'm so sorry, I'm new here and I wasn't –" She looked up at the person she had ran into and instantly, her breath hitched and she felt like she was going to throw up.

_It can't be…_

"Are you okay?" That familiar husky voice filled her ears, instantly making her stomach do flip flops. He looked up at her with those beautiful grey eyes, and she heard him let out a little gasp when he recognized her. "Oh… Hi."

In front of her stood none other than Joe, her delicious one night stand.


	3. Chapter 3

This chapter is a bit shorter than the rest, but it kind of works as a filler to just get the story going. I wanted you to see a little more of their friends' personalities and their own. Things will start to really speed up here soon! I have so many directions I could take this story. Anyway, thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed! You guys are the best. It made me really happy to see such a positive response, since this is one of my first times ever sharing something I've wrote.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

"Uh. Hi. Joe, right?"

He was leaning down, picking up the papers she had dropped, and she couldn't help but notice the way his muscles strained against his button-down. His hair was down and it was much longer than she had imagined it would be.

"Hi Charlotte."

They stood in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say. _This is so fucking awkward._

"So, you work here?" They both said in unison. Both chuckled a bit in response.

"I… it's my first day."

"Makes sense. There's no way I wouldn't have noticed such a beautiful woman."

She flushed bright red all over. Her stomach was doing flip flops. She could feel her hands shaking. _God, he must think I'm pathetic. Get yourself together, Charlotte. _She nervously tugged at her shirt and mustered up a small smile up at him. "Well…"

"Is this your department? What position did you get?"

"I'm… somebody's assistant. That sounds terrible, but they still haven't told me his name. He hasn't been here all morning. I met his brother, Matthew, earlier."

Joe's eyes bulged out of his head a bit.

"That's… me. You're mine." He coughed, realizing what he had said. "I mean… sorry, you're _my assistant_. Charlotte Ruiz, right?"

She coughed a bit, feeling like she was choking on her own air. Everything seemed to get a bit smaller as panic rushed through her. _You've fucked up, Charlotte. This is why you don't have one night stands. _It felt like tears were about to start forming in her eyes but she tried to blink them away.

Sensing her sudden emotion, Joe stepped a bit closer to her, gently caressing her arm. It was natural. It felt right. She couldn't fight the goosebumps that spread down her body. "Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to tell anyone. We'll work through it."

She just nodded.

"Hey, let me go to my office. I'll get you the rest of your paperwork. Were those for me?" He motioned to the papers in her hand.

She swallowed deeply and again, just nodded.

* * *

Joe sat down at his desk chair, breathing in deeply. _Well._

He didn't know what to do. He had wanted to find Charlotte again, tell her how he couldn't get her out of his head, how he wanted more of her. He hadn't wanted to do it like this though. He was her boss. His mind raced with all the thoughts of what this could mean.

He took his phone out and texted Seth, hoping to find some kind of wisdom in his friend.

_You'll never believe what just happened to me. I found her._

_That's great! Where?_

_She's my new assistant. _

_OH… Maybe not so great? What are you going to do? _He looked down at the text from Seth, silently cursing to himself, knowing how big of a mess this could turn into.

_I don't know. I can't really do anything._

_Hey, your office has a door. Get some._

He laughed. _You're of no help. I am being serious._

_Dude, just give it some time. Just see where it goes._

He nodded to himself. Seth was right. This wasn't the time to panic. He had to act like a professional. The bottom line was that he was now Charlotte's boss and he had to put his work first. This was his career. He couldn't mess it up all over a girl he barely knew.

* * *

"It's kind of hot, if you ask me!" Dani said, laughing as she took a sip from her bottle of beer.

Charlotte shook her head. "Come on, I'm being serious! This is bad. This is why I always act like a prude!"

"So, you admit that you're a prude?"

"Shut the fuck _up_."

Sam looked at the two of them, realizing Charlotte was on the brink of a nervous breakdown and Dani was only making things worse. "Look, you're a tough bitch, Charlotte. This could be the start of a great career for you. He's just a stupid guy. Don't let it mess you up. You go in there tomorrow, you look hot as hell, and you let him know that you're not there to play. You do your damn job and you do it well and that's that."

Charlotte nodded. "You're probably right."

"BUT…" Dani intervened. "If he wants to hit it, I wouldn't turn it down. It's not like no one's ever slept with their coworker before."

"I don't think that's such a good idea, Dani," Sam warned.

"Oh, from what Charlotte told us about that night, it's a very good idea." She made a crude gesture with her hips and the three girls dissolved into a fit of giggles. At least Charlotte had great friends to support her. She hadn't always.

* * *

The next day, Charlotte mustered up all of her confidence and all of her self-control and she walked off the elevator with as much attitude as one girl could have. _You can do this. No man controls you. Not anymore, _she thought as she sat down at her desk and began her work for the day.

"Uh… hey, can I get a copy of yesterday's report on my desk?"

Her stomach lurched a bit as she heard his voice. She put on her coldest face and turned to face him. "Yes, sir."

"You don't have to call me "sir", Charlotte…"

"You're my boss. That's all. I'll call you "sir" because you're my boss."

He looked at her, stunned. He hadn't expected such coldness from her. He just nodded, "Alright. Get me the report by lunch."

* * *

Joe sat down at his desk and dropped his head into his hands. He hadn't expected her to be so cold, so emotionless towards him. Had he done something or was she just trying to push him away? Even as she told him that he was just her boss, he couldn't help but notice her beautiful pink lips, her long hair, or how her skirt rode up her thighs a bit.

All day, he struggled to do his work as his thoughts drifted back and forth to Charlotte. She was beautiful. She was talented. She had been some of the best sex he had ever had. _But she's just a girl, and she told you that all she wants is for you to be her boss, so cut the shit, Joseph._

As he lost himself in his thoughts, he barely noticed when someone began to knock on his office door.

"Come in."

Charlotte confidently opened the door and set the report on his desk. "Your report. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good. Thank you."

"Yes, sir."

He watched as she retreated back to her desk and sighed heavily.

_Her ass looks perfect in that skirt._


	4. Chapter 4

_**So, this one is kind of a filler but it's also giving some character background. Thank you to everyone who has left reviews, favorited, or followed this story! I appreciate it so much. Keep 'em coming. I would love to hear feedback on what you all think will happen. I introduced a new character in this chapter and am building up to a pretty eventful next few! Read on to figure out what I mean. Thanks guys!**_

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_Four months later…_

Work was… work. Most of the time, Charlotte managed to get along just fine. She avoided Joe as much as possible, choosing to communicate with her boss through e-mails and notes left on desks when something was needed.

Since starting, Charlotte had finally managed to make some good friends in the office. Dean Ambrose, a guy who worked a few offices down from her, was her usual lunch date. He was friends with Joe, which was awkward, but she had managed to not let the secret slip to anyone. Well, except for Nikki, a girl from accounting. She knew all the dirty details but thankfully, she knew how to keep a secret. When Dean was busy, she always had lunch with Nikki.

"So…" Nikki took a sip of her coffee and smiled teasingly at Charlotte. "What's the deal with you and Dean?"

"There is no "deal" with us. We're just friends."

"You all spend so much time together when you're here! You're crazy. Not to mention, the way he looks at you…"

"Dean isn't that type. You know him."

"Maybe he could be for you."

Charlotte bit her lip, frustrated. "It's not like that," she said. "Dean and I are friends. Plus, he's close with Joe and that would be weird."

"Why? Joe's just some guy you laid. Remember?"

"I know…"

"Come on, Charlotte. Don't tell me you're _still _pining over the guy. It's been almost four months."

"Longer, actually," Charlotte chuckled. "I don't know. I mean, he's my boss so, it doesn't matter. But…"

"But what?"

"I don't know. You're right. Doesn't matter, and that's it. Besides, I'm too busy for a relationship."

"…Says every future cat lady." Nikki laughed as Charlotte playfully punched her in the arm.

She knew Nikki might be right. Dean was nice. He _did _have a tendency to flirt with her, but he also had a reputation for sleeping with quite a few of his coworkers. She wasn't really all for the promiscuous ones, which was funny, she thought, since she had been pining over her _one night stand _for four months.

_Whatever. I have a career to worry about._

* * *

"What's with you and Charlotte?"

Dean looked over at Roman, surprised by his question. "Your assistant? You know her name? Since when do you know your assistant's names?" He said with a laugh.

"She's a good assistant."

Dean nodded. "Nothing. We're just friends."

"Since when are you "just friends" with girls at the office?"

Dean and Roman both laughed, as they jogged next to each other on the treadmills in the office gym.

"She's cool. I don't really think she's the hook up type, anyway. She's a good girl."

Roman couldn't help but inwardly smirk a bit. He knew that Dean was right, though. What had happened between him and Charlotte wasn't normal for her. He felt a rush of pride that he was lucky enough to be her exception to the rule.

"Why do you ask?" Dean said, looking at him a little funny.

"Just making conversation…"

* * *

_Lunch? You? Me? Sushi?_

Charlotte smiled down at her phone as she read the text from Dean.

_Of course. Meet me at 12 by my office._

* * *

"This is so good," Charlotte practically moaned, as she popped another piece of spicy tuna in her mouth. "Would you judge me if I ate like, twelve rolls?"

"Not at all. I want to do the same."

They both chuckled.

"So… you've been here a while now. Do you like it?"

"The job?" Charlotte looked as Dean nodded. "Yeah. It's good. The people are better. The pay is much better. I'm not dying to pay my rent anymore."

Dean smiled. "Where'd you work before?"

"A coffee shop. It was shit."

"Hey, I used to work at my friend's auto shop. _That _was shit.

"You win," she laughed.

After they had paid and were on their way back to the office, Dean started thinking about his conversation with Joe from the day before. Yeah, Charlotte was just his friend… but did he want more? He was never the type for commitment but there was just something about this girl. Her beautiful, long, brown hair. Her chocolate brown eyes. The way her skin looked so smooth and touchable.

More than any of that, though, Charlotte was a good person. Dean had never cared about that before, but there was just something about her. She made him want to know her. He wanted to find out all of her flaws and all her favorites and what she's like when she's not at the office.

"Hey," Dean looked up at her, feeling a bit of nervousness. "Are you going to the company party on Friday?"

"Not sure yet."

"Well, I figured if you were, we could go together. I hate that shit but I feel bad if I don't go…" He always had to play it cool. This wasn't his thing. He hated putting himself out there.

Charlotte watched as Dean ran his hand through his curly, messy hair. _Is he… asking me out? _

"Uh, sure. Yeah. I'll go. Could you pick me up?"

Dean just smiled up at her and nodded.

* * *

Dean parked his car outside of Charlotte's apartment and got out. As he walked up to her door, he silently argued with himself about if he should have brought flowers or not. _It's not a date. You're going to the company party. God, since when did I think about buying a girl flowers? _He shook his head, as if to clear his mind, and knocked on her door.

"Coming! Sorry! I'm running late," He heard Charlotte yell from inside. "Come in! It's unlocked."

He opened the door, popping his head inside. "You can just sit down on the couch! Help yourself to some water or whatever if you want," She yelled again from the hallway. "I'll be just a minute, promise."

He laughed and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge before sitting down. About ten minutes later, she finally came into the living room, and as she did, he felt his stomach go a bit crazy. _What the fuck is wrong with me?_

There she was, gorgeous as ever. Her sun kissed skin looked so soft. Her long hair was curled into loose waves and she had two pieces braided like a crown around the top. She wore a simple, black dress but she made it look so extravagant. It hugged her in all the right places, making her petite waist that much smaller and accentuating her cleavage and curvy bottom. "Do I look okay? I feel like I look ridiculous!" She said, sounding stressed, as she secured two dangling diamond earrings onto her ears.

He smiled at her and walked up to hug her. "You look beautiful. Come on, let's go. I'm your DD tonight. Let's get this party going!"


	5. Chapter 5

_**I am so amazed by the response I have gotten from this story! Thank you so much to everyone for the messages, reviews, favorites, and follows! It means the world to me. To help with the reading process, I made a tumblr where I'll post images and things that have inspired the story. You can see it here: **_

_**This is the chapter where things really start to "heat up"! As always, all of your feedback is so appreciated. Which guy do you think is right for Charlotte?**_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Dean had watched her all night, as she mingled and laughed and drank. She would always find her way back to his side, leaning up against him when her tipsiness hit her the most. The last time he had counted, she had downed four whiskey sours. For him, that would be nothing, but for a girl of her size, he knew she would be feeling it tomorrow.

She had looked gorgeous. Her little black dress fit her in all the right places. The top was tight, so her chest spilled out just a little bit; enough to drive him crazy, but little enough to still be classy. The skirt of the dress hugged her curves so deliciously, he could barely keep his hands off of her. The thing is, he did. That was what confused him the most.

Dean had always been a confrontational guy. If he wanted something, he went for it. He had no trouble throwing out pick-up lines and even the occasional lewd comment if he knew a girl would take it right. Charlotte was different for him. He wanted to be a gentleman to her. He wanted to kiss her goodnight and wake up holding her. He wanted to be different for her. Most of all, he wanted to protect her. She was so pure, so honest.

When she excused herself to go to the ladies room, he had patiently waited for her. After fifteen minutes had passed, he started to get curious. A hint of worry struck his mind, but he figured she must have just found someone to talk to. When he went outside to smoke a cigarette, he didn't expect to feel the heartbreak he felt.

* * *

Charlotte had stumbled out of the bathroom, absentmindedly realizing that she was a little more intoxicated than she should have been. _That's what office parties are for though, right? Get shit faced to forget how much you hate having to work._

As she turned the corner at the end of the bathroom hallway, she cursed aloud as her stumbling caused her drink to spill on the front of her dress. _At least I wore black. _She brushed it off and kept walking, but stopped when she saw Joe standing in front of her.

Later on, she would think that she never should have stopped. She should have just kept walking. But that is what alcohol does to you. It makes you stop thinking straight.

She watched intently as he excused himself from his conversation and made his way towards her. He didn't seem to care if anyone saw him and neither did she. He looked so handsome. His long, raven hair was up in a messy bun and his arms seemed like at any moment they would tear through his gray dress shirt. His eyes burned down on her, making her stomach do flip flops.

"Charlotte, you look _incredible,_" He almost growled at her. She just blushed.

"You… you do, too."

"I didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"Well, I wasn't going to come. But Dean asked if I wanted to come with him, so he wouldn't be by himself, and I agreed." She bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty that he was probably by himself.

An emotion passed through Joe's gray eyes at the mention of Dean but she couldn't quite read it. Maybe she was just too drunk, or he was really good at hiding what he was thinking.

"Do you want to take a walk outside?"

* * *

Before she knew it, Joe had led her to the side of the building and pushed her up against the cold concrete. She vaguely registered that her dress might get dirty and that she was freezing, but none of that mattered. His lips were on her neck. She heard him lowly groan into her ear as his hands found her breast. She couldn't help but let out a little moan herself when his fingers pinched her nipple through her thin dress.

"You are so _damn sexy_," Roman said in between passionate kisses. "I've been wanting you every day that I've had to watch you walk past my office."

Suddenly, a part of Charlotte sobered up. She realized what was happening but didn't quite have the strength to fight it yet. It felt like her mind and her body were at war. _Is this all he wants? Just sex? What am I doing?_

It wasn't until she saw Dean step around the corner that her body finally froze against Joe. He had just taken a long drag from the cigarette in his mouth when he looked up and their eyes connected. So many emotions passed through his eyes at that moment. Hurt. Jealousy. Anger. Confusion. Within seconds, he looked down, ran his fingers through his hair in the most frustrated manner and walked off.

"Stop." Her voice was weak, small. She didn't even know if Joe had heard her, but he did.

He looked up at her. "Baby girl, don't you like this?"

"This isn't what I want."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't… I'm not this girl. I don't just want sex."

Joe stared deep into her eyes. Something clicked inside of him. He knew this wasn't what he wanted either but it was his natural instinct. Whenever he saw something he wanted, he grabbed it and destroyed it. Woman after woman. He'd sleep with them and then leave. He knew Charlotte was different but he didn't know for sure if he could be different.

"Okay." He just stepped away from her, smoothed his shirt down, and walked away.

* * *

Dean took the longest drag from his cigarette, pacing frantically in front of the doorway to the bar. He didn't know what to do. He had felt his heart break the second he had seen Joe and Charlotte. He had known something might be up when Joe asked him about her but he didn't think she was the type to fall for his schemes. Joe was a good guy, yeah, but a horrible man in a relationship. He didn't even know what the word meant.

"Fuck," he said to himself as he ran his hands through his hair nervously and pulled out another cigarette. _What the fuck do I do? _His first thought had been to leave but he knew he couldn't leave Charlotte there alone. What if something happened? _Whatever. She's probably going home with Joe._

As if on cue, he saw Joe round the corner of the building… but he was by himself. He looked frustrated and a little bit anxious. He watched as he just walked into the bar like he didn't even see him. He probably didn't think anything of him standing there, though. Only Charlotte had seen him.

He dragged so hard on his cigarette that it made him cough. He waited and waited to see Charlotte walk towards him but she never came. He started to worry. His curiosity got the best of him and he started to walk to the side of the building. What he saw broke his heart all over again.

There, hunched down on the ground and leaning against the building, was Charlotte. Her head was in her hands and her shoulders were shaking from the tears that wrecked her body. She looked hysterical and broken. Her small frame was shivering and suddenly, every emotion left his body except for the worry he felt for her.

"Hey," He whispered low, "Hey babe, don't cry."

He approached her and she looked up at him, tears and mascara streaming down her face. She looked so ashamed, so broken. He quickly took his jacket off and wrapped it around her small shoulders. He sat down in front of her, kissing her forehead, and took her into his arms.

"It's okay, shhh. What's wrong?"

"You must think I'm such a _slut_," she muttered out in between gasps for air.

He chuckled low. "Honey, you're the furthest thing from a slut. What happened? Did Joe hurt you?"

She looked up at him and shook her head. "We just want different things."

"What do you mean?"

In between her tears, she managed to muster up the bravery to tell him about her and Joe's history. He nodded and listened and held her and was understanding. She couldn't deny how good his arms felt around her at that moment.

"I've liked him ever since I started." She chuckled a bit. "Liked him. Ha. I sound like such a teenager. I don't know what I was even thinking in the first place. I'm not the kind of girl who does one night stands. I've been so strong so far but tonight… I'm so _drunk_." She burst into a whole new round of hysterics.

He couldn't help but chuckle just a bit and wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Let's get you out of here, sweet cheeks."

* * *

When they arrived at Charlotte's apartment, Dean came around to her door and helped her out. She had to lean against him, still a little tipsy. He rummaged through her purse until he found her keys and let them both into her apartment, where he led her into the bedroom.

She climbed up onto the bed with a little bit of help from Dean and he couldn't help but smile. Even drunk, she looked like an angel. She was still so innocent. Even as she climbed into the bed, she made sure not to be indecent in her short dress. Her hair was a mess, sprawled out over her shoulders. She had mascara rings around her eyes and she looked so tired.

"Come on, let's take these off," He smiled at her as he took each heel off of her feet. He gently lifted her and placed her at the top of the bed. As he pulled the covers over her body, he leaned and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Charlotte. I'll call you in the morning."

She shook her head almost violently, grabbing at his arm a bit. "Please stay."

He breathed in deep, searching her face for any clue as to what she was thinking. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Don't want to be alone…"

"Okay."

He took his shoes and button down off, but left his undershirt and pants on. He might be uncomfortable in them but he wanted to be a gentleman. He climbed under the covers with her and stayed to his side of the bed. He was pleasantly surprised, though, when Charlotte rolled over towards him and laid her head on his chest as she fell asleep.

He couldn't resist placing a small kiss on the top of her head as he drifted off.


	6. Chapter 6

**This one is very short but is just used to further the relationship between Dean and Charlotte. Don't think this is the end of Joe and Charlotte though. I have so much in store for this chapter! Thank you for the continuous feedback. The more reviews and follows I get, the faster I post! Thanks guys!**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIX**

As soon as Charlotte opened her eyes that next morning, she realized four things: 1) Dean Ambrose was in her bed, 2) She was still in her dress from the night before, 3) Her head felt like it was going to explode, and 4) She was about to puke. Immediately.

She launched herself off the bed and ran to the bathroom, tripping over her shoes. As soon as she reached the bathroom, she leaned over and threw up into the toilet. She had made it _just _in time. One more second and there would have been quite a mess to clean up. She felt mortified. Not only had last night been a complete disaster, but she was certain that Dean could now hear her puking her guts up.

"Charlotte?" She heard a knock on her bathroom door. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah…" She choked between gags. "I'll be out soon."

"Do you need me to come in? Or bring you anything?"

"No, please don't come in. A glass of water, ple-" She began throwing up again, and with it, she began to cry. A few seconds later, she heard another knock on the bathroom door and she reached her hand out, grabbed the water from him, and closed the door back.

"Sweet cheeks, if you need me to come in, I don't mind."

"Please, don't."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Charlotte felt like she had thrown up everything in her body. She felt exhausted and tired. She drank the glass of water slowly after she had brushed her teeth. After changing into her pajamas, she finally went and laid back down on the bed next to Dean who looked very sympathetic.

"I like your jammies."

"Really? Jammies?" She groaned as she covered her eyes. Her head hurt so terribly.

"Grump."

"Please, don't start with me," she snapped. "I feel terrible. I can barely open my eyes. I just threw up my internal organs, I think. My head is pounding. I am _not _in the mood."

"Sorry…" He sounded so small. She instantly felt bad.

"I'm sorry, ugh. I'm grumpy when I'm hung over."

"See, I told you. Grump."

"Seriously?"

"Hey, I know what will make you feel better… Take a nap. I'll wake you up when your surprise is ready."

* * *

About an hour later, Dean shook Charlotte softly to wake her up. He led her out to the couch and wrapped her up in a blanket. He motioned at her to hang on and disappeared into the kitchen. A minute later, he appeared again with her breakfast tray filled with goodies. Her headache was finally starting to go away and she couldn't deny how cute he looked.

He had made her scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon. There was a tall glass of orange juice and a piece of paper in a cup where he had drawn a picture of a flower. She couldn't help but chuckle. She looked up at him and he was actually _blushing_. "I didn't have time to get you a flower, so I figured I'd draw you one…"

"That's so sweet!"

"I know a good breakfast always makes me feel better when I'm sick. Eat up, little one."

With that, he plopped on the couch next to her, stealing a piece of her bacon and turning on cartoons. Before the two of them knew it, they were passed out on the couch, cuddled into each other's arms.


	7. Chapter 7

_**So this is when things are going to start getting complicated. Please, leave feedback and let me know how you all think the story should unfold! I have so many surprises in store for you guys. I may not be able to update again until Sunday night because I will be out of town, but I will try. Follow so you always know when I have updated! Thank you guys. :* Also: I'm super interested in doing some one-shots. Anyone have any prompts or requests for me?   
**_

* * *

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_The Monday morning following the office party…_

Charlotte took a deep breath as she exited the elevator. She knew she would have to face Joe and she wasn't looking forward to it. More than anything, she had baked a small batch of cupcakes as a "thank you" for Dean's hospitality over the weekend and she was excited to give them to him.

She walked up to his desk, where she found him lost in concentration over some paperwork, and set the tray of three cupcakes down in front of him. "I may have ate the other… three. Let's say I made six."

He smirked up at her.

"Chocolate?"

"Ah, no, sir. Chocolate… with Nutella frosting!"

"How'd you know I like Nutella?"

"I caught you taking spoonfuls from the jar in my kitchen."

He smiled up at her sheepishly. "What are these for?"

"To say "thank you". You were such a gentleman this weekend. I couldn't say thank you enough. So, I baked you some cupcakes in hopes of you forgetting that you saw me make out with my boss and that we can still be friends after you saw me puke one hundred times."

He just laughed up at her. "Deal."

* * *

Joe watched from his office as she sat the cupcakes down on Dean's desk.

Joe had woken up the morning after the office party alone, cold, and hungover. His thoughts had drifted to the night before and he had felt so embarrassed. He had came on to Charlotte so aggressively, so selfishly. He had fled from the scene when she mentioned the idea of commitment, even though he knew deep down he'd be willing to give anything a try with her.

The weekend had been spent moping around. Seth had dragged him out of bed to go to the gym once but he barely put any effort in. He had even shed a small, single tear while watching a romantic movie, which he would never admit to anyone on earth. The point was, he had spent every waking moment thinking about Charlotte and her lips and how bad he wanted to be with her.

When he saw Charlotte go to her office, he felt a sudden rush of bravery and approached her desk.

"Hi… Charlotte. Can we… could we talk?"

Charlotte looked up at him, those wide, beautiful eyes of hers looking so surprised.

"Uh, yeah. Come in. You can close the door."

Part of him hoped Dean saw. He may be his friend but he was jealous of their relationship.

"Look, I'm so sorry about the other night…" He said, hanging his head a bit. She tried to protest, to stop him from continuing, but he kept on. "I was drunk and I was aggressive with you and I never should have been."

"It's okay. I know. You're my boss. That was dumb of me to even think…"

"Charlotte, I want to try to be with you."

His gaze was met by hers, and she looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"What?"

"I… I don't know. I am not the commitment type. I am not the type who sits around all weekend thinking about the girl he kissed at a party. I am not the type who gets _jealous _when he sees his friend talking to a girl. _But you make me that way! _I have to find out what this is."

She blinked. "Are you just curious or are you actually interested in me?"

He shook his head. He hadn't meant to make it seem like she was some experiment to him. "Charlotte, I am very interested in you. Give me a chance."

"What if… what if Dean would treat me better?" She didn't even know what her feelings were for Dean. Over the weekend, he had been so kind to her and she would be lying if she said that she hadn't loved his company – but were they more than friends? She hadn't figured it out for herself yet, but what she saw in Joe's eyes at the mention of Dean assured her that she had hit a nerve.

"Give me a chance. I'll prove myself to you."

"How?"

"Let me take you out. Friday."

She thought for a second, the silence between them almost unbearable. After a minute, she just nodded.

* * *

Later that day, Charlotte and Dean got lunch together at the Qdoba down the street from their work. It gave them a chance to maybe talk, or at least, that's what she hoped would happen. Charlotte couldn't understand the feelings going through her in those moments.

Part of her was ecstatic that Joe had asked her out. She had been pining over him for months. She remembered how every nerve ending on her body had become electrified when he kissed her. She was excited to see where he would take her and what they would do. However, a part of her was terrified. Was she just an experiment to him? If she slept with him again, would he leave? What did he want out of this whole thing? More importantly, what did she want?

On the other hand, Dean was great. Dean was like a best friend. He was kind to her and sweet and gave her compliments left and right. His feelings for her were becoming more and more apparent each time they were together. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't beginning to have feelings for him in return.

"Hey, can we talk about something?"

She nervously took a bite of her burrito bowl as he nodded at her.

"I'm scared you're going to freak out."

"Why would I freak out?" He said.

"It's about Joe."

She saw Dean's posture go a bit rigid for a second, and his eyes closed just long enough for her to see the flash of hurt on his face. Those emotions were gone before she knew it though, and he motioned for her to go on.

"He… he asked me out today."

"He did?"

"When?"

"Today. Like earlier today…"

"No," Dean managed to chuckle a bit. "When is the asshole taking you out?"

She frowned a bit at the "asshole" remark but let it be. "Friday, he said."

"Oh, okay…"

"I… I just didn't know how you'd feel about it."

"What do you mean?"

She looked at him, almost begging for him to not make her say it. However, he looked back at her with the fakest confused look she had ever seen. _Nice time to be a dick, Dean. _"I… I just didn't know what was going on with us. After…"

"Us? Is there an us?"

She blinked at him, kind of shocked at Dean's cold tone.

"You tell me."

"I'm not gonna lie, Charlotte," He said, finally breaking his cool exterior and running a hand through his hair nervously. "I like you. I do. You're smart and funny and such a badass chick. But, if Joe is what you want, then by all means, go for him."

She nodded.

"However…" Dean spoke up all of a sudden, quite loudly. "You know what, what if I want to take you out? He's got Friday, right? Give me Saturday. Let's see who is better for you."

She sat, mouth wide open, in complete shock at his proposal.

"_What?!"_

"Hey," Dean said, defensively putting up his hands, "I've known Joe for years. He's never been the exclusive type. You all aren't committed to each other yet. You give me a shot, Charlotte," He grabbed her hands and looked deep into her eyes. "You give me _one _shot to win you over. I know I'm not the big boss man, and I don't have all the money he does, but I guarantee you I will show you one hell of a time."

He was giving her the cockiest grin she had ever seen.

She sat, thinking, for a minute, much like she had in her office when Joe had asked for a date with her.

"… O-o-okay. I'm going to tell Joe, though."

That same cocky grin stayed put on his face. "Do it. I'm not scared of him."

She just shook her head and pushed her food away. She had lost her appetite completely.

_What the __**fuck **__am I getting myself into?!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much for all of the reviews and messages and follows! It's so interesting to see all of the different views you all have and who you hope she ends up with. Charlotte's a complicated character. I know she seems a little too untrusting and it doesn't really make sense but there's a reason for it. I'll dip into her past here soon. Anyway, here's the update I promised! Keep reviewing and following and I'll try my best to update as fast as possible! (PS: Still taking writing prompts and one-shot requests. I've started to work on a couple but I'm kinda struggling)**

* * *

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Charlotte had just wanted to get a cup of coffee, _not _walk into the single most awkward conversation of her life. As she had opened the doors to the break room, she came face-to-face with both Dean and Joe. It was immediately clear what their conversation was about.

"Dude, did you _ask her out?_"

"Joe, it's not like you even told me you were interested in her."

"But you knew, right? You asked _after _you knew?"

"Sure did," Dean said, while straightening his back out, as if to say he was just as tough as Joe.

As Charlotte walked in, they both turned to her. She looked, probably with sheer terror, between the two faces, waved, and walked right back out.

"How could you, man?"

"Stop acting like you're a one woman man. Whatever act you're putting on for Charlotte, just stop. She isn't some girl you should just be experimenting with. I _like _her, Joe. I really do. I'm not going down without a fight."

Joe just stared back at him. The tension in the room was thick.

"Me neither," Joe growled.

"May the best man win then," Dean said, and turned his back on his friend to get a cup of coffee.

* * *

Back at her desk, Charlotte tried her best to focus on her work. She really did, but there was no hope. She couldn't stop worrying. Was she causing a rift between two friends? Had she made a mistake by agreeing to go on a date with Dean after Joe asked her out? Had she made a mistake by agreeing to go out with Joe in the first place?

She found herself doodling on a piece of paper, completely oblivious of the person standing behind her. "Boo!" She heard that familiar voice whisper in her ear, causing her to jump and spin around. There Dean stood with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Figured this was why you came in the break room," He smiled, handing her the cup. "Cream only. Just the way you like it, right?"

She nodded, blushing.

"You know how I like my coffee?"

"Of course I do, sunshine. Sorry about that back there…"

"You all got in a fight because of me?"

"Don't you worry yourself, sweetheart," He smiled back at her. "We're both grown men. This isn't the first time we've clashed. We're both totally aware of the situation, so don't you worry 'bout a thing."

* * *

"Dude, I need to do something _good_."

Seth chuckled at his friend as they chatted over lunch. Never had he seen Joe be so nervous or think so much over a date. Hell, Joe never really went on dates; he just took girls back to his place most of the time. "This is so weird. You sound like such a bitch."

"Thanks for the encouragement."

"I'm just saying."

"You're supposed to be the smooth one, man. You're the only guy I know who I thought could help me with this. Please," Joe pleaded, silently begging his friend to take this seriously.

"Okay, okay. What do you have planned so far?"

Joe just looked at him.

"Jesus Christ. You're helpless!" Seth exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, man! I have _nothing!_"

"Well," Seth looked like he was calculating carefully every word he spoke. "Okay, so Dean is the type of guy who will… probably try to be really romantic and showy. Because that's not who he is, but he's going to think that's what she wants. He's going to think that's the only way to fight for her, to try to outdo you. So, maybe you can beat him by doing the opposite. Intimate, personal. Don't do fancy."

"Are you sure?" Joe looked skeptical. "I don't want her to think I'm cheap…"

"When it comes down to it, women don't care about fancy. They just want to be sweet talked and romanced. It's all about giving them the attention they crave. What about… what if you take her to the food truck park and then to go see a movie?"

"You actually think that's going to do it?"

"I think it depends more on how you _act _than what you guys do."

Joe nodded, knowing his friend was right.

He could barely remember the last time he had felt this nervous about a date and the last time he did, he had eventually had his heart broken. Sure, he had broken a heart too, but two played in that game. He hoped this wasn't going to be a repeat of the past for him.

* * *

Friday night came quickly for Charlotte and as she was getting ready, she felt an overwhelming wave of anxiety. What was she getting herself into? Was she stupid to think that this could end well for anyone?

Joe was so charming, so strong. She was drawn to him and she couldn't deny it. From his muscles to his low voice to the way he made her feel, he was absolutely charismatic. But then there was Dean. Dean, who was so sweet and adorable and funny, and she could sit with him for hours and talk and watch cartoons and who didn't mind seeing her get sick.

_FUCK. I am in so much trouble._

Joe had told her to dress casually, which surprised her, but she didn't argue. She looked in the mirror at her outfit and sighed. This was as good as it was going to get. She had already tried on everything in her closet that she saw fit to wear. She had eventually settled on a tight fitting pair of dark wash skinny jeans with a black tank top and a black floral kimono over top. Her hair was wavy as usual and hung down around her shoulders. She had gone light on the make-up, with pearly accents around her eyes, curled eyelashes and some deep red lip stain.

She looked in the mirror one last time as she heard the knock on the door. She headed towards it, feeling more nervous than she could ever remember.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **_Thank you all for the continuing support! I hope you all are happy with where the story is going. Also, a couple notes in response to some of the reviews: 1) Dean developed feelings for Charlotte before he knew about her and Joe's history, so keep that in mind. 2) Joe and Dean are friends but they're casual friends. Not like Joe and Seth, who are really close. 3) Sometimes, you just can't control how you feel. I don't want you all to think Dean is a bad guy for liking a girl his friend is into. He didn't really intend for it to happen, at least, as I see it._

* * *

**CHAPTER NINE**

When she opened the door to her apartment, Joe couldn't help but smile. She looked gorgeous, as always. She looked so shy as she looked up at him and he felt his stomach doing little turns. _How does this girl do this to me?_

"Hi."

"Hi," Charlotte smiled up at him.

"You look incredible."

The blush that spread across her cheeks was so adorable. She looked down, muttering "you, too", and she welcomed him into her apartment. "I'll be ready in just a second, okay? Sorry I'm running late."

After a few minutes, she was ready and they walked to Joe's car. The ride was quiet and there was a little bit of tension between the two of them; not the bad kind, but the nervous, first date kind that hung in the air. Not much was said until they arrived at their destination.

When Joe came around and opened the door for her, she looked around curiously. "I would have never expected this from you," She laughed a little as she looked around at the food truck park. She had pictured Joe as the wine and dine type, the showmen.

"I'm full of surprises," He said, his grey eyes staring down at her. "Besides, I want to make sure I get a chance to really get to know you."

* * *

They had decided to get a couple different food items from the different trucks, in lieu of having a proper dinner. They just wanted to try all the different items. One soft pretzel, two donuts, two street style tacos, and a drink. A weird combination, but they had so much fun sharing all of the food.

"Where are you from, beautiful?" Joe asked, as he leaned in closer to her. The way his arm was around her, how close he was, how he smelled. It was all so intoxicating to Charlotte. However, her past was her past, and she hoped he wouldn't ask further.

"Uh, I'm from Chicago. Well, I was born in Tennessee, but my parents moved up there when I was just a kid."

"What brought you to Georgia?"

She tensed at the question, not wanting to talk about it. "Uh… I just needed a change."

Joe couldn't help but to wonder, but he sensed her discomfort and brought the attention back to himself. "I'm from Florida, originally. I moved up here to go to college and I guess I never really thought of going back after that."

"What'd you study?"

And that's how they sat, for hours, sitting on a park bench and asking questions back and forth. Joe picked up on how uncomfortable Charlotte was with some of the more personal questions and eased off, although he hoped that one day he could know that part of her. He smiled at her questions, which were always a bit on the silly side, like what his favorite song was or his favorite childhood cartoon.

When Joe glanced at his watch, he couldn't believe his eyes. They had missed the movie he was supposed to take her to because they had lost track of time. "I was going to take you to a movie," He said, hanging his head a little, "But we missed it. I'm sorry. I wasn't even paying attention."

"That's fine," She smiled up at him shyly, "I've been having a good time here."

Since it was getting late, he said that he would get her home. The drive back was quiet again but tense in a different way, in a hopeful way. The air between them was charged. When he walked her to her door, she asked him inside and he gladly accepted.

"Would you like a drink?"

He nodded, watching her take out some whiskey glasses and filling them with ice.

Once again, they fell into a deep conversation, talking about the littlest and biggest of things. She refilled her glass once, but he declined, as he knew he could be driving home. He smiled at how her chest reddened as her buzz grew, and her laugh got a little louder. "You're adorable," He said, pushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

She looked down immediately, blushing even more, but he put his hand under her chin and pushed up until their eyes met. "I want to kiss you."

"Okay."

She looked like a deer in the headlights.

His lips came softly down on hers and she let out a little moan. His eyes lips were so full and soft. Joe couldn't help but think that she tasted like strawberries. Both of their hands were lost in each other's hair as their kiss deepened. She scooted closer to him on the couch and he lowered his hand to the small of her back, pulling her into his body.

They sat like that for quite some time, softly kissing and letting out little sighs. Eventually, their kiss broke and Joe rested his forehead on hers. "I want you," He breathed.

She was surprised when the first thing that came to her mind was Dean. As good of a time as she was having tonight, she couldn't sleep with Joe with a good conscience. She wanted to give both of them a chance. As bad as she wanted to give herself to Joe again, she knew that she couldn't do it without breaking Dean's heart. "I… I don't think we should tonight."

Joe straightened up a little, obviously getting an answer he didn't expect.

"Is it because of Dean?"

She sighed, moving away from him a bit. "Yes, but not just because of him. I'm not ready."

"It's not like it's your first time, come on…"

She felt like she had been slapped a bit. She saw how after he said it, he regretted it, but that didn't change the way it sounded. "Maybe… maybe you should go."

"I didn't mean it like that, Charlotte," Joe said, backpedaling. She could see the panic on his face, the realization that he was messing up. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I just… let's call it a night. I had a good time with you, Joe."

As she moved towards the door, he followed with regret. "Goodnight, Charlotte." He gave her a kiss on the forehead and left.

She slumped down on the couch. Memories of her old life rushed to the surface and she felt so many things she hadn't felt in a long time. Dean ran through her mind, and then Joe, and she felt like she was losing a bit of control. She went to go take a shower and clear her mind.

* * *

**A/N: **_As the story progresses, keep in mind that situations like this are complicated. Everyone is feeling something strong and it blurs the lines of right and wrong. Things will get complicated here soon and not saying that anything any of the characters do IS right or wrong, but I feel like in the heat of the moment, decisions would be hard to make. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for sticking with me._


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:****_This one is a bit long. Sorry if I tend to be wordy. Anyway, this is where things really heat up. Charlotte has a big decision to make soon. Who do you hope she chooses? I'd love to hear what you all think! Keep the reviews coming. Thanks for reading!_**

**CHAPTER TEN**

Charlotte groaned as she heard the sound of a hand beating on her front door. _Knock! Knock! _Looking at the clock made her even more annoyed – it was only 9:30am! _On a Saturday?! Whoever this is better have a damn good reason for waking me up. _She reluctantly got out of bed and threw on a shirt with her sports bra and sleep shorts as she made her way to the front door.

When she opened the door, she had to squint for a second to figure out if she was imagining things. There stood Joe in front of her, hair up in a messy bun, tight fitting shirt hugging all of his oh-so-perfect muscles, and loose grey sweatpants hanging dangerously low on his hips. Her first real thought of the morning was how lickable his hipbone looked, exposed, from him leaning one arm up high on her doorframe. He was the _image _of sex.

She was so distracted by his looks that she didn't even notice the flowers he had been holding. He handed them to her, kissing her cheek, and said, "Can I come in?"

She hesitated for a second, but nodded while stepping aside and allowing him into her apartment.

"Give me a sec," She said after closing the door. "Just woke up."

She ran to the bathroom and nervously looked at herself in the mirror. _You should be glad he didn't run screaming from you, Charlie. Shit. _She combed her fingers through her hair and put it in a big, messy bun on top of her head. She splashed some water on her face and then rubbed a thin layer of BB Cream over her skin. A dash of chapstick, a brushing of her teeth, and she figured that was the best she could do on such short notice.

When she walked back out, she saw he had made them both a cup of coffee with her Keurig.

"Well, make yourself at home," She chuckled.

He smiled sheepishly at her. "I figured since I woke you up – which I'm very sorry about, by the way – I would at least help you out by making you a cup."

"Thanks," She smiled as he handed her a mug.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"It's fine, Joe…"

"No, it's really not. Look, I'm sorry I pressured you. Whether we have… ya know, _had a history together _or not, you still have a right to say no at any time. I'm sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

She smiled softly at him. "Yeah. It's fine. I really appreciate the apology."

"You seemed really upset last night and I could barely sleep thinking about it. I hope it wasn't too forward of me to just show up."

"I like forward," She said, without thinking.

He took a step closer to her, putting a strong hand on her hip. "Is it too forward to say that I want to see you again?"

"No."

He was so close to her. She could smell the faint smell of leftover cologne. His lips were so close to hers she could barely handle it. His finger was tracing the line of her shorts. She felt herself shiver.

"I want to see you again."

"That sounds… good."

"When can I?"

"Well, tonight…"

"I know."

"Can we talk about this another time?"

"Take all the time you need, Charlotte," Roman said in a deep tone as he got even closer to her, making her head spin. His lips brushed against the skin on her forehead. "I'm going to be here. Waiting for you. You figure out what you want, but know that what I want is you. I don't know what it is but you _do something _to me."

She swallowed and just nodded. Suddenly, his lips crashed down on hers. She couldn't fight the urge to kiss him back and soon they were lost in their own little world of hands tangling in hair and roaming over each other's bodies. His lips were intoxicating to Charlotte. She couldn't get enough.

She gasped a little as he placed one hand on each side of her hip and lifted her effortlessly onto the kitchen counter. He moved in between her legs and continued to kiss her. Eventually, his hand slid around to the small of her back and pulled her tightly against him. She felt his hardness press against her and she moaned, loudly. She immediately turned red, embarrassed of how her body had let on how much she liked this.

She put a hand on his chest, pushing away from him a bit. Her whole chest and face was red, her breathing quickened, and her hands were shaking just a bit. He looked at her with hungry eyes.

She didn't have to say anything this time. He understood that she wasn't ready and respected that. The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Charlotte. It warmed her heart. Situations in her past hadn't always ended so well.

"I'm gonna get going," He said, kissing her forehead again. "I'm glad I was able to see you today."

"Me, too."

"Don't have too much fun tonight. When you get bored, feel free to call me," He said, cockily. After her reaction, Joe felt sure that she would be thinking of him all night, anyway.

"Funny," She dryly responded.

"Bye, babygirl."

One more kiss and he let himself out, leaving Charlotte sitting up on her kitchen counter, feeling like she needed ten cold showers.

* * *

A few hours later, Dean had texted Charlotte to let her know he was on his way to pick her up. They were going to go over to his house and he would be making her dinner. Another surprising date choice and she started to think that she didn't know anything about these two men she was so torn between.

When he picked her up, he was dressed like a gentleman. Slim fit grey dress pants and a slim fit black button down adorned his toned figure. He had brought her a single red rose and when he had come into her apartment to wait for her to finish getting ready, he had frowned when he saw a whole bouquet on her kitchen table. His gut told him he knew who they were from. _You should have done better, Dean._

The ride to his house was effortless. It lacked the tension of her car rides with Joe because they were so comfortable around each other. He played silly classic rock and she laughed as he sang along to them. Within a couple of minutes, they were outside of his house. She was surprised at how much different his residence was than what she had imagined. It was a little white house in a nice neighborhood near downtown Atlanta. He had some decent landscaping outside the front door and the inside was clean. It wasn't decorated much, but for a bachelor pad, she couldn't believe how tidy it was.

Almost as if he had read her thoughts, he laughed a bit as he looked at her face. "I may have cleaned up a little bit for you."

She blushed a bit. "Your house is really cute."

He thanked her and led her into the kitchen. There was a small kitchen island with two bar stools and he motioned for her to sit. He retrieved a cutting board and some veggies – mushrooms, zucchini and spinach – and began chopping them. The spinach had been thrown into a pan to wilt down a bit as he started to boil some pasta noodles. "Do you like Italian?"

She laughed, "What girl doesn't? I'm all about the carbs, baby."

He threw his head back and laughed heartily at her. She felt kind of dumbfounded seeing him in his natural environment like this. He looked so carefree in the kitchen and the way he laughed as she talked to him made her feel alive. _I am in so much trouble._

Before she knew it, the food was ready. He had carefully plated them into two deep salad bowls. There was thick al dente rigatoni noodles on the bottom, topped with a turkey Bolognese sauce with spinach, mushrooms, and zucchini thrown on top. He fresh grated some parmesan to top everything off and she just looked at him like he had two heads.

"What?!"

"You! I never would have expected you to be this fancy cook."

He chuckled again, bringing both bowls around and hopping up on the barstool next to her. "Not a fancy cook," He said, "Just a hobby of mine." He opened a bottle of wine and poured them each a bit.

She took the first bite and moaned a little louder than she had meant to. "Jesus Christ, that is some good shit."

Again, that delicious laugh of his rang in her ears. "Good shit? Such a lady. I like it, cupcake."

"Cupcake?" She scrunched up her nose a bit.

"I think it's cute."

She just shook her head and they continued their dinner over casual conversation. When dinner was finished, he poured her another glass of wine and they walked over to the couch. "Movie?" Dean said.

She nodded and he motioned for her to pick out a blu-ray from his collection.

"The Breakfast Club!" She exclaimed, taking it from its place on his shelf. "The best! This is the one."

Dean just laughed and popped it in as they cuddled up on the couch. They sat quietly, watching the movie, and Dean smiled as Charlotte curled up into his side a bit. They sat like that for some time and he couldn't help but watch her when she would laugh or make a face in response to something that happened in the movie. She was so cute. He felt like he had known her forever. He didn't usually fall for girls so fast but Charlotte wasn't just any girl.

She looked up at him and noticed he was staring. Her face immediately flushed that signature shade of red. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

He smiled, "Beauty."

She laughed out loud, perhaps a bit too loud. "You're so cheesy!"

He shook his head, joining in her laughter. "Hey. I'm trying to be smooth here. Ease up."

Their laughter faded off but they were still staring at each other. A tension became to settle in between them and Dean couldn't stop searching her face, seeing all of the beauty that she held. Without warning, Dean leaned over and kissed her. The taste of his lips was better than she had ever expected. He surprised her by gently nibbling at her bottom lip as the kiss deepened, earning a little moan from her mouth.

"God, you taste good," He growled, pushing her back until she fell down onto the sofa. He was on top of her and things were moving fast. She had a faint thought in the back of her mind that maybe they should slow down but it all disappeared when she felt his hardness press into her leg.

"You have _no _idea how beautiful you are," He told her as his lips traveled down her neck, earning little moans and noises of appreciation. She was in a daze. His hair smelled like shampoo and it made her smile. His lips felt light as a feather as they teased and sucked on her neck. His hands gripped the side of her hips with strength, but he was always gentle. He was the perfect mix of heat and romance.

She felt herself whimper when he stopped, straightening himself up and pulling her with him. She made a face at him, confused. He just smiled. "Hey, I… maybe I should get you home. Charlotte, I really like you," He looked deep into her eyes as he spoke. "But… I'm not looking for a hook up. I'm looking for the real thing. So, when you figure out who is right for you, I'm going to be here waiting, but I don't think… I don't think we should take that next step until you're sure."

She blinked, a little confused. Oh, how the tables had turned on Charlotte.

She just nodded. "I'll take you home, though. It's getting late," Dean said.

The rest of the night she felt like she was in a bit of a trance. He respected Dean and his decision but was shocked by how willing her body had been to surrender to his touch. She felt so many things for Joe but she wasn't sure that he would be the best guy to be in a relationship with, despite his assurances. She felt confused as to how she had even got in this situation to begin with, as this was not like her at all.

She had always looked down on people who had went out with more than one person at a time. Sure, she tried to tell herself, they both knew so it was different, but deep down inside, Charlotte knew that what was happening between the three of them was wrong. Someone was going to inevitably get hurt.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **_You guys are TOO sweet! Thank you for the reviews and new follows. If you all are torn between Joe and Dean being her guy, imagine how I feel! I feel like maybe these characters have a mind of their own. Who knows how this will end? Keep reviewing! You make my whole day._

* * *

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Charlotte had been up all night with her mind racing back and forth between her night with Joe and her night with Dean. Both nights had been so incredible for so many different reasons. Joe had been so sweet, so smooth. Even though he had upset her late Friday night, he made it better when he showed up the next morning with flowers and his sweet words. On the other hand, things were so comfortable with Dean. There was definitely a spark between them and she couldn't help but to feel like they had known each other forever. Dean was safe, but in a good way – not the boring way that people talk about. Joe was the edge of a cliff and he made her feel like she was seconds away from falling off of it.

She did the only thing she knew to do: called her girlfriends for an emergency meeting.

Sam and Dani met her Sunday afternoon in their favorite coffee shop. Over lattes and fresh baked donuts, they caught up for a while. Both of the girls knew something was bothering Charlotte, but they also knew she would come to them when she was ready. Charlotte couldn't help but feel terrified about talking to them since she hadn't even told them about the situation she found herself in.

"How have _you_ been, Charlie?" Dani said, eyeing her a bit. "I feel like we haven't seen much of you lately."

"Uh…" Charlotte twisted her hands in her lap, looking down. "So. You all remember Joe, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well… I met this other guy, Dean. We started hanging out on our lunch breaks and he's really cool. A week ago, I didn't even think I had feelings for him but apparently I do. Well, to cut the story short, Joe ended up asking me out earlier this week and I told Dean." She paused, gauging the look on her friends' faces. They both looked calm. Good. "Well, Dean asked me out, too. And I said yes. To both of them. And they both know that. And I went out with Joe Friday, and Dean last night, and I'm caught in this messy triangle bullshit and I don't even know how I got here!" Her calm exterior had melted away and she was a mess of rambling and hand gestures. Her friends were making crazy faces and noises and she wondered if she should regret what she had just done.

"You _DOG!" _Sam screamed. Everyone in the small café stopped and looked for a second but she went on unphased. "I can't believe our little prude is a two-man woman now!"

Dani dissolved into a fit of giggles and Charlotte couldn't help but glare at them.

"This is _serious_, you guys. I really care for them both."

"Well," Sam said while trying to hold back her giggles. "Who is better for you? Who makes you feel better?"

"I don't know… both? They're so different. Joe is this fire, this risk. Like, I want to touch him but I'm scared I might get burnt –" It didn't escape her the giggles that released when she said "touch him" but she rolled her eyes and continued. "Dean is sweet and kind and he makes me feel safe. I don't know what to do!"

"Girl," Sam said while flipping her hair back. "If only I had your troubles."

Charlotte just rolled her eyes.

* * *

_Hi cupcake. _

She smiled down at the text from Dean but couldn't help but groan a bit at the nickname. She was going to have to get that changed.

_Hey… donut. What's up?_

_Donut? Really?_

_Cupcake?! Really?! _She laughed at their bickering and sent the text.

_I miss you. _

_We saw each other yesterday. I miss you, too, though._

_Can I come over?_

_Now?_

_Yeah. _

_Sure._

_Okay. Come to your door. I was already on my way. ;)_

She shook her head and laughed as she went to her door and opened it. When she did, she found a soaking wet Dean Ambrose. She had missed the rain on her way back but from the looks of it, Dean hadn't been so lucky. "Come in!" She laughed. "I'll get you a towel."

He smiled and stepped inside, staying on the rug to not drip water all over her floors.

She came back fast with a towel and was a little stunned when she saw he had taken his shirt off. She couldn't help but stare at the strong muscles of his chest, down to the slight six pack he had. Tiny little droplets of water ran down from his hair all the way to his (very defined, delicious) hip line. She watched intently as he dried himself off with the towel.

When he looked up to find her eyes glued to him, his smile became smug and she looked down, blushing the brightest of reds. "Like what you see, darling?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Charlotte muttered.

There was a tension in the air now. She tried to distract herself. She handed him a blanket to cover up with while she threw his shirt in the dryer quick. He was just standing in her living room, looking delicious in nothing but gym shorts. _How do I keep getting myself in these damn situations?_

"Are you hungry? I'm hungry."

"Sure," He grinned, as if he could read her mind. He was enjoying this.

She went into the kitchen and decided to make two grilled cheeses. When he came up behind her and put his hands on her hips, she felt like she couldn't breathe. "What are you making?" He whispered in her ear. His breath on her neck made her feel dizzy. She instantly felt desire flow through her body.

"What does it look like?" She was trying to be sassy but it came off weak.

"I like cheese." Again, whispered in her damn ear.

"Oh, _COME ON! _You just made the sentence "I like cheese" sexy. Stop. Step away. Let me cook. You need a shirt on. Or something! Jesus CHRIST!"

He burst out laughing as she broke. Her face was so flushed, more than he had ever seen it. She looked like she was about to lose her mind so he decided to give her a little space, but before that… "I like the effect I have on you," He growled into her ear once more before walking to her dining room table and finding a seat.

"Can you cut mine into triangles? I've always loved that," He smirked. _Acting innocent. What a shithead._

"I'm sorry, what?" He said, leaning his ear towards her. "Did you just call me a shithead?"

Her eyes got big and she gasped. "Did I say that out loud?!" The best part about her reaction was, she wasn't being sarcastic. It had really slipped out.

He got up and gave her a kiss on the forehead before going to retrieve his shirt from the dryer. When he came back, she had placed his two triangles of grilled cheese on a plate and they sat at her dining room table. "Why did you come here? To torture me?"

He chuckled loudly. "No. I feel like watching a movie."

"What if I had plans?"

"Well, do you?"

"No…" She felt stupid. She was trying to act like he wasn't affecting her and it was failing miserably.

"Do you want to watch a movie with me?"

"I guess so."

He just smirked. "My pick this time."

* * *

He ended up choosing _Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring _(conveniently one of the longest movies she owned) but not without teasing her about how he wouldn't expect such a beautiful girl to be such a nerd. "Hey, you picked it! You must be a nerd too! God, shut up." She was blushing and laughing and she forgot how good it felt to flirt with someone so effortlessly.

They had sat down and cuddled up under a blanket to watch the movie. She had left her kitchen window cracked and they could hear the rain drizzling down outside. She even dozed off for a bit in Dean's arms while they watched the movie. When she awoke though, she saw him staring at her with those beautiful blue eyes and she couldn't help but to lose control. She attacked his lips, throwing every bit of passion she had into the kiss.

She was pushing at the bottom of his shirt, lifting it up over his head, running her hands over the body that she had been drooling over earlier. His abs felt so good under her fingers and she felt like she was going to explode already. He had started to kiss down her neck and eventually came down to her chest. He looked at her for a second, as if asking permission, and when she nodded he lifted her shirt over her head, revealing her lacy black bra.

"Jesus," He said, closing his eyes briefly. "You are breathtaking."

What had been urgent and lust-filled, like teenage romance, suddenly turned sweet and tender when he saw her with her shirt off. He started to gently caress her body, lovingly kissing each inch. She gasped when his hand gently cupped her breast and even more when she felt his mouth kiss over her clothed nipple.

She was on top of him and she felt like her body was on fire. Things were escalating so fast, but she couldn't stop. Dean had just said the night before how he wanted to go slow, make sure that things were decided for her before going any further, but at that moment, he was so taken back by her beauty that he couldn't stop his actions. He was rock hard underneath her to the point that it was almost painful. She moaned when he made contact with her as they started to grind on each other.

"You are _killing me_," He growled, pulling her hips down harder on his. She moaned loudly, closing her eyes and throwing her head back. He took the opportunity and pulled her bra down, watching with hungry eyes as her breasts popped free. "Hell, cupcake," He moaned, and she felt so much pleasure in that moment that she didn't even mind his silly nickname. "You're so beautiful." As his mouth enclosed over her nipple, she felt her whole body shake with pleasure and she couldn't help but wonder what that tongue of his could do somewhere else.

When those memories began rushing through Charlotte's head, she felt like she had hit a brick wall. It was sudden and paralyzing. Flashbacks of horrible nights filled with abusive words and careless actions. She felt _his _hands on her and _his _mouthon her body and every bit of pleasure turned to pain. It took just seconds for her stomach to turn and she ran to the bathroom, leaving Dean stunned on the couch.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **_I want to apologize for the lack of updates over the weekend. I've been having a lot of problems in my personal life and didn't have time for anything during the past few days. Anyway, I'm back and should update pretty regularly this weekend. Thanks again for all of the follows, reviews, and favorites. You guys are unbelievable._

**_WARNING: This chapter isn't a happy one. There is abuse and (non-graphic) rape. Trigger warning. Also, mentions of suicidal thoughts. I tried not to go into too much detail as I feel that this is a very sensitive subject that shouldn't be glorified. If I offend anyone, I deeply apologize._**

* * *

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Charlotte laid across her bathroom floor, sobbing. The past hour had been a blur. At the beginning, everything was perfect. She had been connecting so well with Dean. Their bodies had been so close and her heart had felt happy. She had been at ease. It was the sudden memories that flashed through her head that brought it all to a sickening halt. It was those memories that paralyzed her and left her a crying mess.

Dean had knocked on the door many times. He had asked if she was okay, even frantically asked if he had hurt her somehow. He tried and tried for a good half an hour to get through to her but he didn't realize how gone she was. His questions just fueled her panic attack. She didn't want anyone to know about her past. She had been doing so well for the last two years but in one instant, she was right back to square one. After her repeated requests for Dean to leave, she finally heard the door close to her apartment. Part of her was so glad to be alone. Part of her was devastated that he had actually listened.

As she once again emptied her stomach into the toilet, she felt her entire body shaking. It was as if she was going through some sort of a relapse. She felt the fever, the shakes, the cold. She knew that she wouldn't sleep well tonight.

* * *

_"Please," Charlotte croaked out in a whisper. "Who are you right now? This isn't you."_

_She was crouched in the corner, shaking, with her legs drawn up against her chest. That evening was supposed to be perfect. It was their second anniversary. She had made him dinner and dressed up in a nice, new dress. Her hair had been done up and her make-up was perfect. None of that mattered to him, though, when he came home drunk._

_It had gone downhill when he slapped her across the face, saying that dinner was overcooked. She had been stunned. He had never acted this way before. One slap turned into ten and before she knew it, her face felt numb. It just got worse from there. He had pushed her and pulled her and violently belittled her, with actions and words, until she had broken down. She was trying everything to stay away from him but he wouldn't leave her alone._

_At some point in the night, she had wanted to be intimate with him. Now, her stomach was literally turning at the thought. His, however, was apparently not. Charlotte felt like at any second she would pass out as the night went on, and the violence became a shade darker. He was forcing himself on her and no matter how hard she fought, she couldn't do anything. _

_He had ripped her underwear off with such force that it felt like her hip might have came out of socket. He roughly pinned her arms. His hand came to her face, closing in around her jaw, and it felt like at any second he would choke the life from her body. She was petrified, tears streaming down her face. "Please," She sobbed. "Please stop. I don't want this."_

_But, he didn't care. He took so much from her that night. He left bruises and maybe even a few broken bones. More than that, though, he broke everything inside of Charlotte. She had never thought something like this could happen to her. He had always been so sweet. _

* * *

The next morning, Charlotte awoke to her alarm clock. The night had been spent in a heavy sweat, fighting off nightmares and shaking from the repeated panic attacks that assaulted her body. She felt like it was two years ago and the wounds were still fresh. She had hoped to never feel this way again but it was debilitating.

After she once again threw up in the bathroom, she looked in the mirror at her reflection. She was pale. Her eyes had heavy bags underneath them and she couldn't help but see herself as fragile. Like a porcelain doll who had been beaten against a wall by a child, she was beginning to break.

Charlotte called into work, making up an excuse about having the flu, and went back to sleep. She didn't wake for a very long time.

* * *

**_Two Days Later…_**

Sleep had taken over most of her days. Work had called and she continued to make excuses, stating the flu had taken over her. She said she would be back as soon as possible. They asked no questions. She absentmindedly wondered if Joe had anything to do with that. He had texted and called many times, but she only responded with short responses, stating that she needed her rest. Dean had tried to come by her apartment but she didn't open the door to him. She acted like she wasn't there, even though she knew he would see her car. She couldn't stomach seeing him right now.

On the third day, she finally gave in and called Dani. Sam had been on vacation and she didn't want to bother her. As soon as Dani got the call, she had been on her way. When she arrived at Charlotte's apartment, she had been concerned.

Charlotte looked as if she had lost five to ten pounds. Although she wasn't the smallest girl, she was by no means overweight. The weight loss made her face sink in the slightest bit and made her hips seem a little out of proportion. Her skin was pale and dull, lacking the usual glow that Charlotte always had. Dani couldn't help but notice the large bags under her swollen eyes.

"Charlotte," Dani said quietly after she had entered the small apartment. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I've just… I had an episode, I guess. I… I started to remember everything that happened and then… I've thrown up so much. I haven't ate in days. All I've done is slept. I made Dean leave. I won't talk to anyone. I don't know what to do. I feel like I want… I just want to sleep forever." Charlotte was a mess, sobbing as her friend held onto her tight.

"Baby girl," Dani cooed, as she sat next to her friend, holding her tightly. She rubbed her back and her hair, noting how it seemed like she hadn't showered in a few days. "What happened? What made you start thinking of him again?"

"I don't know. Dean was here and then I started freaking out and I was getting sick in the bathroom."

"What did Dean do?"

"I told him to leave."

Dani just nodded, rubbing Charlotte's back. "Listen, let's get you some food."

Initially, Charlotte fought Dani in every way. She had to nearly force her to eat some bread. Once she stomached the bread, she agreed to have half an apple. After that, she was talked into taking a quick shower. When she came out, Dani just smiled and helped her to clean up the mess that had developed over the past few days.

After they watched television for a little while, Dani knew that Charlotte was tired. She took her into the room and got her in bed. When she asked Dani to stay, she couldn't say no, and so the two friends fell asleep on her bed. Throughout the night, Dani heard Charlotte having nightmares. Her body would shake and move and squirm. She whimpered and sometimes cried in her sleep. Sometimes Dani woke her up but sometimes she was scared to. It was a rough night for the both of them.

* * *

Dani had off work the next day so she stayed around Charlotte's apartment, cleaning and watching over her as she slept. She felt so scared for her friend. She had never seen sometime like this before. Charlotte had been bad when she first moved to Atlanta but every day had brought her more strength. Now, every day was making her grow weaker.

She had taken some toast and orange juice into the bedroom and woke her up long enough to eat it. It was no surprise when Charlotte laid right back down to sleep more. Dani just busied herself with house work. It was around noon when she heard a banging on the door.

When she opened it, she saw Joe standing there.

"Uh…" He looked, blinking at her. "Hi, I'm Joe."

Dani shook his hand. "Dani. We've met before. You just don't remember me because you were so caught up in leaving the bar with my girl Charlotte," She said with a wink.

A bit of a blush took over Joe's face and he smiled sheepishly. "Is she here? She hasn't come to work in a few days and I've been worried. She won't take my calls or anyone's, really."

"Yeah, but now isn't a good time. She's… sick. She is going through a lot. She isn't skipping out, though."

"I know. I figured."

"I'm sorry, Joe, but… I don't think you should see her right now."

Joe hesitated for a second, eyeing Dani as if he was trying to evaluate if he should trust her or not. "Is she… sick? Or is something else wrong?"

"The two go hand in hand," Dani said subtly, looking at Joe in a way that begged him to understand that she couldn't say more. He nodded and she silently thanked the Heavens he wasn't asking for any more of an explanation. "Look, she'll come to you if she feels comfortable."

"Thank you, Dani. Tell her I stopped by."

"I will."

He turned around to leave but turned around just before the door closed, putting a hand up to keep it open. "Hey," He said, grabbing Dani's attention, "Look. You don't have to answer this. But, if you will, I'll keep it between us and I'll be really thankful…"

Dani just waited.

"Has Dean been here? Has she been talking to him? Is that part of what this is?"

Dani smiled softly at Joe. "No, Joe. Don't worry. She'll come back around soon."

He just nodded, smiling back at her, as if to say thank you for giving him some peace of mind.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N: **_**I'm having a really hard time with this story lately. I tried and tried to write the next chapter and it took me forever. I am still not happy with this one but hopefully you all will enjoy it. I feel a bit lost as to where I want to take this story. I've been having a hard time in my personal life and I guess it's just had me distracted. Reviews would be really appreciated.**

* * *

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

The nightmares had returned.

The panic attacks had become more violent and frequent.

Two months had passed and Charlotte's life had begun to crumble right back down to where it had been before. She had quit her job at the office, deciding to go back to her gig as assistant manager of a local coffee shop. The pay wasn't as good, but at least she could cut ties with Dean and Joe. She had been so embarrassed after that night with Dean that she felt she couldn't muster the courage to walk back in. The first week, both of them had tried over and over again to get in touch with her, but once their phone calls and texts stopped coming, Charlotte just let herself fade into the motions.

That's all she was doing. Going through the motions, day in and day out.

Dani and Sam had continued to look after her. She knew they were the only things keeping her head above the water. They made sure she got out of bed to get to work, either by showing up at her door or by calling her phone over and over. They would come over and make her dinner, just to force her to eat.

After the first month, Dani had made her go to a therapist. She had a friend who worked in therapy and got her in to see him for free. Charlotte knew it wasn't helping her, as she would go to every appointment and just stare out the window, but if it got them off her back, she would do whatever. She couldn't talk to anyone about how she felt, not even the two of them. She felt ashamed. She felt broken.

On one particular Wednesday afternoon, Dani had come over to Charlotte's apartment when they both were off work. Charlotte looked worse than ever. Although she slept most of her days away, her nightmares had made her so restless that the bags under her eyes had begun to look like bruises. Her skin was pale and lifeless. Those weren't the things that worried her the most, though. Dani saw how thin Charlotte had become. Her bones stuck out unnaturally. Her face was thin and sunken in, in a way that Dani had never seen before. Charlotte had always been of a pretty average build but now she was small, fragile, and tired.

It was that day, when Dani forced Charlotte to step on a scale, that Dani knew things had to change. She had lost over twenty-five pounds in the two months since the incident that changed everything. Dani had tried to force therapy on her but knew it wasn't working, since her friend filled her in after every session. She knew Charlotte wasn't speaking, wasn't opening up. Dani felt helpless. She didn't know what to do to help her friend. So, instead of trying so hard to help, she decided she would just get Charlotte to feel something, anything.

She wasn't sure if it was a good plan.

Sam warned her, saying it could only make things worse.

She didn't listen, though, and decided to throw the one thing at Charlotte that she knew would make her feel something.

* * *

Dean stood awkwardly outside of Joe's office. His door was closed but Dean knew that he was inside.

He knocked. Quietly at first, but then a bit louder.

"Come in."

He opened the door, slowly, peeking his head in. The last time the two had talked had been in the break room, when they almost came to blows over Charlotte.

"What do you want, Ambrose?"

"Look, I'll make this short. I just wanted to know if you've heard from her. I just want to know she's okay."

"She won't take my calls."

"Me neither."

Joe sighed a big, heavy sigh. Dean could see that the past two months had taken its toll on the both of them. Charlotte had come into their lives like a tornado, capturing both of their attention and ripping everything away when she left. They were both worried about her now, above all else.

"I thought about called her friend, Dani," Joe finally said after a moment of silence between the two. "She had told me I would hear from Charlotte soon. I don't know why. She never called me or anything. I've just been waiting."

"I don't even understand what happened."

Dean had finally sat down at the chair next to Joe's desk.

"Did you hurt her?"

"No!" Dean exclaimed. "I don't know what happened. Everything was fine. We… we were…" He hesitated, not knowing what to say. Joe just nodded, as if to say "shut up, just finish your sentence". "You know, and then, she just ran to the bathroom. I heard crying and she was getting sick and then she told me to leave."

"And you left?!"

"Yeah! I didn't know what else to do."

Joe shook his head with a sigh.

"I feel like…" Dean started, hesitating while he thought about if he really wanted to open up to Joe about the situation. With a huff, he continued. "I feel like it was something about me, Joe. You and her had sex and she didn't bat an eye. I don't get it."

Joe just looked at him. He didn't know what to say.

"Maybe you were just the better man for her in the end," Dean finally said, getting up and leaving the office of his former friend.

* * *

Joe stared at his phone.

He wondered if he was making the right choice. Dean had looked torn up over Charlotte when he came to his office, but he couldn't let his guilt over the situation guide his decision. He thought about her every day and every night. He just wanted to know she was okay.

When his mind was finally made up, he sent Dani a text message, asking if they could talk.

When his phone rang a few seconds later, he quickly answered.

"Hello?"

"Look, I have an idea and it might go terribly, but you're just going to have to trust me on this one…"


	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_Knock, knock, knock!_

Charlotte rolled over, glancing at her alarm clock. It read 2 AM.

_What the fuck…_

She got out of bed, sleepily, not even caring that she was only in her underwear and a big t-shirt. She didn't care about many things these days. She stumbled to her front door in the dark, tripping over things here and there, and managed to fumble with the lock to get it open. When she opened the door, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.

There, in front of her, stood Dean Ambrose.

He was drunk as _shit_.

She looked at him, finally opening her eyes all the way, and took in the scene. His hair was a curly mess, all in his eyes and out of control. His face was all puffy and red, either from crying or just from the copious amounts of alcohol he had no doubt consumed. In his hand he held a bottle of whiskey and it was almost empty.

"Dean…" She said, not entirely trusting her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I can't..." He began, slurring along the way. He wavered back and forth a bit, trying to steady his mind. "I can't ssstay away from you. You're… you're aaaaallll I think about."

She watched as he took the bottle to his mouth, taking in a large swig of whiskey.

"Dean, you can't just show up at my doorway, drunk."

"Charlooooooootte," He mumbled. "You can't make love to me, can you?" His eyes were cold, sad. "No, I'm not good enough. I'm not m-m-man enough. Joe is. You'll sleep with him. Nooooot I…."

Charlotte felt a stabbing pain in her heart. He was drunk so she knew she should try to not be angry with him. His words hurt, though. If he knew the truth, he wouldn't want anything to do with her, anyway.

"I… I think you should go, Dean."

"You're probably RIGHT!" He exclaimed, loudly. She had no doubts that he was probably waking up her neighbors. "I'll just driveeee myself home then."

She started to watch him walk away but knew deep down, if something happened to him, she'd never forgive herself.

"Fucking hell. Get in here."

"Me?" Dean said, turning around, as if to see if anyone was behind him. _Drunk asshole. _"Are you sure? I might taint your apartment. I might let some of my dirty rub off. Isn't that why you don't like me? I'm not Joe. I'm not the smooth guy, or the… the fucking rich guy."

She shook her head, controlling her anger. "Shut the fuck up and get in my apartment."

Her ourburst seemed to work and he followed her inside, sheepishly. He sat down on her couch, took three long swigs from his whiskey, and before she knew it he was asleep.

* * *

Dani's plan was in motion.

It was 9am and Joe was on his way to Charlotte's apartment. She had decided that the one thing that would force her to feel something would be to throw a surprise her way. If she was going to be miserable, at least having him show up on her doorstep would give her something else to think about.

As he drove to her apartment, he could feel the nerves twisting his stomach into knots. All he had thought about over the past few weeks was Charlotte: her smile, her beautiful curves, her sweet voice. How happy he had felt around her and how carefree she made him.

When he knocked on her door, he felt like his heart was beating out of his chest.

* * *

She heard the knocking as it ripped her once again from her sleep. This time the clock read 9:15am.

_For fucks sake, can a girl not be left alone?!_

She walked out to the living room. She had hardly got any sleep, up all night thinking about what a mess her life had become and praying Dean would stay asleep on her couch. As she walked through the room, she noticed he was exactly where she had left him. He had rolled onto his side and was absolutely _passed out_.

She opened the door and felt like she could die.

As if to complete the perfect timing of her night, there stood Joe, looking perfect as ever. She suddenly felt very aware of how messy she looked. She was in a pair of black underwear and a big t-shirt. Her hair was almost knotted from the messy bun it had been in for a whole day. She wore no make-up. She felt like she could crawl in a whole.

"Fucking hell," she exclaimed at the sight of Joe.

"I…" He looked confused, mumbling and searching for words. "Is this a bad time?"

"Yes. Yes, it is!"

"I… I can leave…"

"You should."

Joe was caught off guard by her cold demeanor, seeing the entire encounter going absolutely differently. He had hoped for a nice reunion. He didn't expect fireworks but maybe at least that he would get to hold her in his arms for a second. He just wanted to be near her.

"Okay. Sorry to bother you," He mumbled as he turned around to leave.

Charlotte felt a slight sense of guilt, knowing she was letting her frustration and stress get the best of her. She sighed. "Look, hey," She called after him, "Wait, Joe."

He turned around, looking at her helplessly.

She closed the door gently behind her and stepped out, looking around quickly to ensure none of her neighbors were outside to see how she was dressed. "Look, Dean showed up last night."

Joe's eyes immediately dropped to the ground and she saw the look of jealousy and hurt cross over his face. It was instant and strong.

"Not like that," She stressed. "He… he was drunk."

"What? Did he hurt you?" Joe immediately felt anger at the thought.

"No, no! He just… he was really drunk. I sent him home but he said he had driven here and he was really bad off so I told him to stay. He's… he's passed out on my couch, okay? It's just not a good time."

"I'm sorry, I just really needed to see you… make sure you were okay…"

"I'm fine."

Joe saw straight through the rehearsed line she gave him. He could see the pain in her eyes.

"Charlotte," He took a step closer to her, but felt rejected when she backed away. "Sweetheart, I just want to see you."

"Not now, Joe…"

"Will you call me, please?"

"Maybe."

Joe looked at her for a second, debating if he should say anything else. He decided to leave it at that. He just nodded, and turned around to walk away.

Charlotte leaned her head against her front door for a second before walking back inside, feeling defeated.

"Good morning," She heard the familiar scratchy voice come from the couch.

_Oh, great. _She thought as she looked over to see that a very hungover Ambrose was now awake.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

Dean sat up, opening his eyes slowly. His head spun and ached. His mouth was completely dry. He realized his leather jacket was still on and struggled with it until it fell off his shoulders. He could smell the alcohol on _himself_ and he couldn't help but to think how pathetic that was. _God knows what she must think of me now, _he thought to himself as he ran a nervous hand through his messy curls.

"Good morning," He muttered out, his voice shaky and scratchy. "Was that prince charming? Coming to take you with him on his white horse?" _Shit. Maybe I'm still a little buzzed. Good job being an asshole._

"Guess you're still going to act like a fucking _dick,_" Charlotte spat at him. She could feel her blood boiling. Two months of trying her best to put off any emotion she felt was bringing her close to her breaking point. She had so many emotions and right now, Dean was threatening to rip her open and let them all spill out.

He shook his head violently, as if to shake his mind into place. "Look, I'm sorry!" He exclaimed, "I… I don't mean to be like this. This isn't me."

"Oh, whiskey Dean isn't you?" Her voice was cold. He knew she was out to hurt him. "Seems like it was. You had such _nice _things to say last night. Don't pretend you're Mr. Nice Guy."

Dean struggled in his mind to remember his words at her doorstep but came up blank. Her words were stirring up a storm in him, though, and he didn't think before he spoke again. "I guess not all of us can be _Joe_. Not all of us can be rich and perfect and get all of the girls _in bed_."

"Is that what you fucking wanted, Dean?! You just wanted to sleep with me, huh? I expected that from Joe but not from _you. _That's all I was to you, huh?!" Her hands were shaking. She felt like she could pass out at any moment but she wanted to stay strong. She felt her legs wobble a bit underneath her but she ignored it.

Suddenly, Dean felt himself sober up. He realized how different she looked. He saw how frail she was, how small and fragile she had become. Her bones protruded in places they didn't before. Her hair was almost knotted in her messy bun. Her skin looked lackluster, almost sick. He suddenly felt overwhelmingly guilty for the stress he was probably putting her under. She looked like a little porcelain doll on the edge of a shelf, holding on for dear life, seconds away from falling to the ground and breaking to pieces.

"Charlotte, _no,_" He said, his voice deep and quiet. He stood from the couch and started to slowly walk towards her. He didn't miss her taking a step back. "That is _never _what I wanted from you. I just wanted _you._" He was staring deep into her eyes and she felt like her world was crumbling down around her.

_How many times have I heard that before? _She thought to herself. _It's always a lie._

"Charlotte, please don't tune me out," Dean continued, this time approaching her to grab her hand. She ripped it away from his grasp. She didn't miss the look of hurt that crossed over his features, but he continued anyway. "I don't know what I did wrong. I'm begging you. Please. If you kick me out after this, it's okay. Just please don't leave me suffering. Just tell me. I'm so sorry if I hurt you."

She looked at him and saw a man standing in front of her on the edge of breaking. She felt terrified at the feelings it evoked inside of her. She wanted to reach out to him, grab him, hold him, but she was so scared. _If he knew the truth, he wouldn't want me. If he knew the truth, he'd leave. He could be lying. _That voice inside of her head was going crazy, warning her.

"Dean, I just…" Her voice was quiet, broken. "I can't. You don't understand."

"_Help me! _I want to understand." He was so close to her now. She felt like running.

She felt like something inside of her had snapped. Her felt a pain rush through her body. Her vision went blurry and her head spun violently. In that second, her knees wobbled beneath her, turning to liquid, and she fell forward. Dean caught her before she could hit the floor and carried her to her couch.

"Charlotte," She heard him say frantically. His hands were on her face and in her hair. "Charlotte, look at me. Are you okay? Please, baby. Talk to me."

"Just give me a second."

"Charlotte, should I take you to the hospital? Baby, please. I'm scared," His voice sounded frantic. His hands were shaking against her skin.

"No, no," She weakly objected. "Call Dani. Dani knows."

Dean grabbed her phone and did just that.

"She needs you. Please."

* * *

Dean couldn't sit still while Dani took Charlotte into the bathroom. She heard crying and the sounds of Charlotte throwing up. She heard Dani chastising her, asking her why she wasn't eating, why she wasn't drinking, why she was breaking her promises to her. Dean paced and paced, not able to calm down.

After a good bit, Dani came out and looked at him.

"Maybe you should go, Dean."

"No. I'm not going until someone tells me what's going on."

"I _can't_, Dean," Dani said, quietly. "If she wants you to know, she'll tell you."

Dean thought for a second, feeling helpless. He could feel slight tears swelling behind his eyes and he felt embarrassed at the vulnerability he was showing to Charlotte's friend. "Look," He said quietly, "Please tell her I'm sorry. For everything. Whatever everything is, I'm so sorry. I don't know what I did, but I'm so _fucking sorry_." He was wringing his hands through his hair with panic. His emotions were overwhelming him and he wasn't used to this. "Just tell her that I'm sorry I wasn't good enough. Joe didn't make her feel this way. Maybe he's the guy, you know?"

Dani just stared at him, unsure what to do.

"I'm not good enough for her. Fuck, I wanted to be. That girl… she got me. She really took a hold of me." He looked like he was talking to someone else now but Dani didn't know what to say so she let him continue. "I really fell for her. Just tell her I'm so sorry. If she ever wants to speak to me again, I'll let her contact me. Otherwise, I'm gone. I'm out of your all's hair. I'll stop fucking bothering her."

He grabbed his bottle of whiskey and walked out the door.

Dani sighed, feeling guilt over calling Joe the night before and overwhelm with worry for her friend. She turned and opened the door to Charlotte's bedroom, only to see her sitting at the edge of the bed, sobbing.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: Don't hate me too much for this, guys.**

* * *

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

"Do you want to talk about it, hun?"

This was it, Dani thought. Charlotte was either going to sink or swim at this point. She watched intently as her best friend rocked back and forth gently while clutching her legs tightly to her body. Silent tears cascaded down her face. She was so deep in thought that it seemed like she was somewhere else completely. She knew this moment would either pull her down for good or finally let her break free.

"Come on, babe," Dani said softly, holding onto Charlotte's hand. "You have to get this out. I'm here for you. Come on. Talk to me."

When Charlotte's eyes looked up at Dani, she swore she saw more pain than she had ever seen in another person's eyes. She sat there in front of her broken friend and knew that she would always look out for her.

"I'm… I… I feel so _dead_."

"You're not. You're still alive. You're fighting."

Charlotte choked back another sob. "I feel like I've lost."

"You haven't."

"What do I do now?"

"You keep on. I'm always going to be here for you. We are in this together. We will take it one day at a time. You focus on getting up every morning. You remember that there _is _good in the world and that son of a bitch was the bad. You focus on eating three times a day. You make sure you drink water. You get good sleep. When you have a nightmare, you wake up thankful that it was only a nightmare and go back to sleep. And each day, I will be here with you, and you will get better."

By now, Charlotte was full on sobbing. She couldn't control it anymore. Dani watched her as she broke apart but knew that now, just maybe, she could build her life back up again. She remembered someone telling her once that if someone cries when you say something nice to them that it's your job to protect them, because they haven't been shown enough kindness in this world. She knew Charlotte was one of those people.

As she engulfed Charlotte in a full-on hug, she felt her friend slowly begin to calm down.

* * *

It wasn't easy by any means but with each passing day, Charlotte found a little bit of strength left inside of her. She was getting better little by little.

She had taken up yoga as a means of relaxation. It helped her to sleep better at night. Dani and Sam came to her house most nights for dinner and they would make big feasts, both eyes fixed on her to make sure she cleaned her plate. She had gained back about ten pounds but still looked more fragile than she had once been. There was improvement though, and that's what mattered.

Once she started to get her life back on track, she decided to wrap up some loose edges, too.

As she met Joe for lunch that day, she felt so nervous. She had arrived fifteen minutes early because she couldn't stand to sit in her apartment any longer. While she waited for him in the booth, she became alarmingly aware of how much her hands were shaking.

"Hi sweetheart," His low voice greeted as he sat down across the booth from her.

"H-h-hi."

"I'm glad you wanted to meet. I've been thinking about you."

She smiled softly. This wasn't going to be easy.

He noticed the wary look on her face and braced himself for what came next.

"Joe… I just didn't want to leave you hanging…"

He tried to force a small smile to encourage her. He knew she needed to do this. He just wished it didn't hurt so badly.

"I…" She paused for a second. His grey eyes were burning into her and she felt that familiar aching feeling in her stomach. Her head spun a little bit but she swallowed her nerves down and told herself to be strong. "Joe, I really cared… I really care for you. I do. The times we had were… great. I just need to figure out what I'm doing for myself. I need to get better."

He looked at her for a while and they sat in an awkward, heavy silence. She was half expecting him to yell at her at any moment.

"I hope that everything good in life will come your way."

She blinked. _What? _"You're… you don't hate me?"

"I never could, doll," He said softly as a big smile lit up his face. She couldn't deny how handsome of a man he was in that moment. She would miss him. "You're amazing. You have been since the moment you walked into my life. I think a part of me knew, though, that maybe I wasn't the right man for you. I always cared for you, but…"

His words hung in the air and Charlotte couldn't help but wonder what he was trying to say. Was he trying to bring up Dean?

"Look," He sighed. "What I'm trying to say is that you deserve the best. Take care of yourself. Get better. I'm always here if you need me," he said as he reached over and grabbed her hand. "Even just as a friend. I hope you'll keep in touch."

"I will."

Their warm smiles made Charlotte's stomach stand at ease.

* * *

That night, Charlotte, Sam and Dani decided to go out for a celebration dinner of sorts.

In Charlotte's mind, there was both nothing and everything to celebrate. She had broken things off romantically with Joe, but she had also gained him as a friend in her life for the first time. She was still having nightmares and still struggled to get out of bed every morning, but it was getting easier and that was enough to make her celebrate.

"So," Sam said, as she devoured some of the chips and salsa on their table. "How'd it go today?"

"Good, actually… Joe took it so well. He didn't get mad or anything. He told me he hoped we could be friends."

Dani laughed. "Like, sincere friends or was it a "keep me as a friend so we can hook up one day" kind of thing?"

Charlotte couldn't help but giggle at her friend. Both Sam and Dani were fairly certain it was the first time they had heard her genuinely laugh in over two months and they shared a glance at the sound. They didn't say a thing, though; just enjoyed the carefreeness that exuded from their best friend. "I'm pretty sure he was being real with me."

"Well, good," Sam smiled.

The girls munched on their chips and salsa and enjoyed small talk. It was nice to have their friend back. As Charlotte's fajitas were brought to the table, the two girls enjoyed the view of their friend scarfing down the food. Maybe things would be okay after all.

"So," Sam started warily. "I have to ask… you've talked to Joe. When are you going to talk to Dean?"

Charlotte looked down at first, not making eye contact with either of the girls.

"You _are _going to talk to him right?"

"Charlotte, that man was a mess. I know he was an asshole but he really cares about you. You have to talk to him!" Dani exclaimed.

Charlotte nodded in between bites of her food. "I know," She sighed. "I… I still care about him. I just don't know if I'm ready. He was so intense."

"Is that _really _why you're avoiding him?"

Charlotte glared up at Dani, knowing that her friends saw right through her.

"Okay! Okay. You're right. I'm fucking scared!"

Her outburst drew the attention of the tables around them. Sam laughed and hid her head as Dani waved them off. "Nothing to see here, folks!"

"Jesus Christ, woman," Charlotte muttered under her breath.

"Stop being scared. Start being the brave ass bitch I know you are," Dani smiled at her.

"I just… what if I tell him and he hates me? What if he doesn't want me anymore?"

"What if nothing. What happened to you wasn't your damn fault," Sam chimed in. "It doesn't make you any less of a woman. If anything, it makes you a better woman. You just gotta put yourself out there, babe."

Charlotte just nodded, knowing her friends were probably right.

"I just need some time."


	17. Chapter 17

_* Italicized text represents text messages for this chapter. Non-bold is Charlotte._

**Chapter Seventeen – One Month Later**

_Are you up?_

**_Who is this?_**

_Charlotte…_

**_Sorry. I deleted your number. I figured you wouldn't ever talk to me again. I'm up._**

_Yeah. Sorry about how long it's been. I kept meaning to call you…_

**_You don't have to apologize to me._**

_Dean, I do. Can we get together sometime?_

Charlotte breathed in deeply after she had pressed the send button on her cell phone. The past month had been a mix of emotions for her. She had spent most of her time focusing on herself, trying to get better. The nightmares still came every couple of nights, ripping her heart at the seams a bit, but she was learning to control her reactions better. What plagued her more than ever now, was thoughts of the blue-eyed man she had hurt. Sure, he had been a dick to her at times. He had made her angry. He had made her feel worse. Charlotte knew, though, that she needed to explain to him what had been going on. She knew he deserved that, at least.

**_You really want to see me?_**

_I really do. I want to talk to you about a few things._

**_That never is a good thing, cupcake. _**

_That nickname again…_

**_Sorry, I can't help myself._**

_Our talks won't be bad. For you, at least._

**_What's that supposed to mean, sweets?_**

_I just want to explain myself to you. It's going to be hard, though._

**_You don't have to explain anything to me. If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to. Don't do anything you're not okay with._**

_I want to._

**_Okay._**

_When are you free?_

**_I'm not doing anything right now…_**

Charlotte glanced at her clock. It read 12:30 am. _That crazy son of a bitch, _she thought. _Better now than later, though. _

_Okay. Come to my place?_

**_I'll be there in thirty._**

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. She decided to pour herself a shot of whiskey and she downed it as fast as she could. She just hoped this wouldn't end badly. She tried to tell herself that he would understand but the demons inside of her said that he wouldn't.

* * *

Three shots later, Charlotte had loosened up a bit. When she heard the knock on the door though, her stomach still spun around violently. When she opened it, she couldn't help but to appreciate the view in front of her. Dean looked better than she ever remembered. His curly, messy light brown hair was all in his face. He looked tired, but still cute. His beautiful blue eyes looked at her timidly, as if he was just as terrified as she was. She vaguely noticed how his black t-shirt hugged his frame so well, but tried to push those thoughts to the back of her mind.

"I want to hug you," He blurted out, and immediately she could see regret on his face. He looked embarrassed. She just nodded, and stepped closer to him. He looked at her once, as if asking for permission a second time, and before she knew it, his strong arms had enclosed around her body. She sighed, breathing in his scent and melting into his arms. _This might be what home feels like._

For a second, all of their issues were forgotten. For a second, it was all okay.

When he let her go, he looked sheepish and awkward. She invited him in and he sat down on her couch. He looked up to where she was and saw her pouring a shot of whiskey. He gave her an inquisitive look and she just shrugged. "Liquid courage."

He nodded, giving her time.

"Do you want anything to drink?"

"Do you have a beer?"

Charlotte walked to her refrigerator, got him a beer and then sat down on the floor in front of him. He gave her another sideways glance and then decided to slide off the couch and onto the floor with her. They were sitting, legs crossed, face-to-face with each other. Dean rested his back against the couch and watched as Charlotte sat, running her finger along the rim of her whiskey glass.

"I guess I should start."

"You can take all the time you need," Dean said, his intense stare showing her he meant it.

"I don't even know where to start…"

* * *

_"You know you're just a little bitch, right?" He spat at Charlotte. "You're just my little bitch. No one's ever going to love you like I do. Hell, after I am finished with you, no one will ever want you again. You'll be just for me."_

_Charlotte closed her eyes tightly, feeling the tears stinging from underneath her eyelids. It was always so painful. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to get away. For two months now, he had been abusing her. Sometimes, he would just hit her. Sometimes, he would force her to have sex with him. Tonight, he was in the mood for both._

_She could feel her face swelling from the impact of his punches._

_Worse, she could feel the damage being done to her heart, her soul. She had never felt so ugly or so used. She had never felt as worthless as she did in that moment, and that was exactly what he wanted._

* * *

She slowly, painfully took Dean through that year of her life. She tried to keep the details to herself as much as possible but told him enough that he knew how bad it had been. She wasn't sure when the tears had started falling down her cheeks, but occasionally Dean would reach up and wipe them away. She watched intently as his face contorted every so often, from looks of anger to pain to sadness, and she noticed how his fists would clench up at the worst details.

"I…" She took a second, realizing her anxiety was spiking up. He reached out, stroking her hand. "I eventually got away. I found out he had been cheating on me with a girl we were both friends with. I never confronted him or anything. I just left one night when I knew he was sneaking around with her. I changed my phone number and I came here. I just tried to start all over. I've had nightmares off and on since I left. Sometimes, I dream he's here, in my room, hurting me again. Sometimes, I just hear his voice in my head. Telling me I'm ugly, telling me I'm useless, that no one could ever love me again."

Dean just listened, always responding with some small physical gesture to let her know he was there for her. He was so quiet. It made her so nervous.

"That night…"

He watched as she hung her head down, avoiding eye contact.

"Go on, Charlotte. It's okay."

"When we were… I don't know what happened… something crashed. Something clicked in my head and for some reason, I saw him. You… I mean, I was with Joe… the night we met, but I was drunk. I was _so drunk, _Dean, and I remember thinking about it all, but I was so drunk that I could push it away, pretend it wasn't there. You were the first man I tried to be with fully after everything."

He nodded. She could still see the heart on his face. She knew he was thinking it: what made Joe different than him? She wanted him to understand but she knew it would take time.

"Dean, you didn't do anything. And it's not that Joe was any better or different than you. I just wasn't thinking so much. It wasn't serious for me, when I slept with him. But with you…" Charlotte paused, twiddling with her thumbs and trying to control her breathing. "With you, it was different. I wanted you. I wanted to _be _with you and I got scared. I heard him. I heard him saying no one could ever want me. I saw him telling me that I'm just damaged goods, that you're not going to stay around. I freaked."

He nodded.

The silence was deafening.

She tried to speak but found no words. She looked at Dean but he was staring at the floor. She tried to swallow but could feel the lump growing in her throat. Maybe this was it. Maybe this was when he would run, say that all of those things were true, that he didn't want another man's filth.

"Please," Charlotte croaked. She knew she was on the edge of a breakdown. "Please, say anything."

Dean looked up at her, his eyes intense and brooding.

"Charlotte… I want to kill that son of a bitch."

She couldn't help but chuckle a little. "It's okay…"

"No," Dean said, his voice firm and low. "It's not okay. You're fucking perfect," He reached out and put his hand under her chin to make her look at him. At first she avoided eye contact but eventually their eyes found each other's. "You're so perfect. I think you're beautiful and precious. Everything he said to you? That was lies. He was just trying to make you stay."

She nodded, knowing in her heart that she couldn't believe him but appreciating the words anyway.

"Thanks," She said, trying to shrug the words off.

"I'm here for you, Charlotte."

"Thank you…"

"I know things are different now. I know you need to focus on yourself but please, don't forget that I'm here. I won't rush you. I don't expect anything of you, but I want to be here. I want to be your friend. I want to help you through this."

She looked up at him and suddenly threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tight. He had no clue what he meant to her.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **_I've had some writer's block so I apologize for the absence. Thank you to everyone who left me nice reviews and messages while I was away. You are appreciated. After watching the documentary tonight, I had a little bit of inspiration. So, here goes nothing… (Also, sorry it's kind of short.)_

_Also, for those of you disappointed, I can promise you'll see Joe soon enough._

* * *

**Chapter 18**

They had agreed to take it slow.

It had been two weeks since Charlotte had told Dean everything. She had told him about her talk with Joe, about her nightmares that haunted her, about her past that still paralyzed her at times. She had opened up a little piece of herself and he had clung to it.

Even though she had her reservations, Dean felt himself becoming more sure each day that he wanted her – all of her – from her million dollar smile to her perfect little lips, to her demons that threatened to crush her. He wanted all of it. He wanted to help her, to protect her, to love her. He knew love was too soon, for her and maybe even for him, but he couldn't help it when the thought crossed his mind.

He looked in the mirror, fidgeting with the top two buttons of his shirt.

_Fuck._

He huffed, feeling defeated, as he raised the shirt over his head and began fumbling through his closet. He had never been this way before Charlotte. It wasn't even like they were dating or that this was even a date. He was just going to her house to watch a movie and eat dinner, like they had been doing for a while. It just always felt like something more to him.

As he went to pull a grey henley over his upper body, he caught a glimpse in the mirror of the long scar on his back. He winced, remembering the pain that had caused it, and pulled the shirt down. He ran his fingers through his hair and made a mess of the unruly curls atop his head.

"Well," He looked at himself. "I look terrible."

* * *

Dean stood outside of her door, shaken slightly be the nerves bundling up in his stomach. This was new. Maybe it was the fact that every moment with Charlotte was spent trying to keep his hands off of her, or making sure that he didn't say something that might pressure her.

He took a few steps away and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. Another new habit he had developed over the past two weeks. He took a long drag, breathing in the smoke, feeling his shoulders loosen a bit and his breathing calm. He stayed like this, counting his puffs, focusing on the task.

"Dean?"

The small voice coming from the door startled him and as he looked up, he saw Charlotte standing in her doorway looking perfect. He felt silly, stressing so much over his outfit, when she wore sweat pants and a tank top and looked perfect.

"Hey cupcake."

"When did you start smoking?" She asked as she stepped outside, folding her arms in around herself to keep herself warm.

"Not too long ago. I can put it out, if it bothers you."

"It's fine."

"Okay."

They stood there in silence, as Dean finished his cigarette and she studied him. It made him nervous, how he could feel her eyes raking over his frame. He wondered if she liked what she saw. He focused even more on counting his puffs, calculating the actions of each inhale exhale motion of his lungs.

"Are you okay?"

He looked up at her to see her forehead scrunched up a little.

"I'm good. Why?"

"You seem tense."

He couldn't help but smile at her. He just shook his head and flicked his cigarette on the floor.

As they walked into her apartment, he was welcomed with so many aromas that he could feel his mouth watering. He followed her into the kitchen, noting the way her hips swayed as she walked and wishing he could reach out and grab them. On the stove top, she had two pots and two skillets. He could see she was making an alfredo sauce and smiled at the thought that she had noted his love of pasta. "Looks like you're making a feast fit for a king."

"Oh, yes, your majesty. Just for you!"

He snorted, giving her a playful look. "Anything I can help with, servant?"

"Uhhhh… I got the chicken and vegetables. And I just started the sauce. Do you want to cook the pasta?"

"Leaving the easy stuff to me. You don't trust me, cupcake?"

She laughed a bit. "No, I just wanted to make you something you'd love."

He looked up at her for a moment and he felt it. That delicious tension, the butterflies in his stomach, the look in her eyes. He could see she was blushing a bit at her admission of trying to impress him, so he just nodded and didn't say a word.

Silently, they worked their way around the kitchen. Every once in a while they would bump into each other, awkwardly smiling and trying to ignore the electricity between them.

"You should probably use a colander for that," Charlotte said, motioning over to him as he stood by the sink. He had the lid on top of the pot of boiled pasta and was attempting to use the lid as a strainer. As he held the lid on tight and tipped the pot over, the water started streaming out.

"I know what I'm doing," He said as he looked over his shoulder with a cocky grin.

"If you say-"

"_FUCKING SHIT!" _

Charlotte tried her best to contain her giggles, fighting between being amused and being concerned when she saw Dean. As he had looked over his shoulder, the hot water had hit the rim of the sink and poured onto his stomach. He dropped the pot in the sink and lifted his shirt where she saw a red welt already forming.

She bit her lip as she fought the smile that was forming on her lips.

"Don't even say it," He said, holding up one hand, as he used the other to hold the fabric off his stomach. "I know. I know."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

Dean could feel his face flushing in embarrassment but he tried to play it cool.

Charlotte turned off the burners on the stove as her food finished cooking. "Here," She motioned, "Give me your shirt. I'll throw it in the dryer."

"Are you just trying to see me half naked again?"

He watched as her face immediately flushed that perfect shade of pink and he wanted to kiss her more than ever. She shook her head quickly as she avoided his eyes. He decided now was the perfect time to tease her a bit and grabbed the bottom of his shirt as he slowly pulled it over his head. When he got it off, he could see her eyes scanning over his upper body. "That's what I thought."

She felt her face grow even hotter but couldn't help herself from looking… all the way from his perfect shoulders to his muscular arms down to his defined abs. She noticed how his waistline tapered in and led down to the little patches of hair at the top of his low-slung jeans. When her eyes flickered back up to his face, she knew she had been caught. He had the cockiest of smiles plastered on his mouth and he looked absolutely pleased.

"Just give me the fucking shirt," She mumbled and snatched it from his hands, practically running towards the laundry room.

_Guess I don't look so terrible after all, _Dean thought to himself.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: **_So, I have a very, very limited idea for a new story that I'm really interested in developing but I need some help to really figure out the whole story. Would anyone want to message me and kind of work through the idea with me?_

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

"You're being really fucking distracting," Charlotte mumbled under her breath.

She stuffed her mouth with a fork full of pasta, all too aware of the permanent blush that had been spread over her cheeks since Dean had removed his shirt. She felt like if they made eye contact he would know every little thought running through her head.

"Oh, what's that, princess?"

"_Nothing_," She growled.

He chuckled, lowering his head down far enough that her eyes met his. He had the cockiest, yet cutest, little grin on his face and she felt like she was melting. Every time they were together, she felt like he was slowly putting little pieces of her back in place. She couldn't help but sheepishly smile up at him, feeling caught in her admiration of his toned upper body.

"I don't see what I'm doing, you know, that could be distracting…"

As she scowled at him, she saw him turn and flex his arm for her. Her face turned red all over again and she groaned. "_Stop! _God, you're so cheesy."

"You love it."

"Nah."

He just smiled lazily at her and finished up his bowl of pasta. "That was so good, cupcake."

She just nodded and smiled, watching as he grabbed her empty bowl and stood at the sink, rinsing both of them out. Now that he couldn't see, her eyes hungrily devoured his frame. She watched as his shoulders flexed as he washed the dishes. She noted the way his jeans hung low on his hips. For the first time, she noticed two scars: one on his right shoulder, and one on the back of his right arm.

She stood up, going over to him. Her fingers traced the scar on his shoulder and she immediately felt him tense. "Hey, I'm sorry. Are you okay? What happened?" Her voice was low and comforting.

He didn't look at her. She could see his jaw tensing and it was as if he was trying to pull away from her a bit without being too obvious.

"Nothing, they're pretty old."

"How'd you get them?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Charlotte."

He looked her in the eye and she was surprised. His eyes were filled with so many things… maybe sadness, embarrassment, anger. His jaw was set tight and he looked uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

She moved away from him, leaning on the counter, and averted her eyes to the floor.

"Can I have my shirt?"

She just nodded and retrieved it from the dryer. She couldn't deny the disappointment at his body being covered up but she knew that she had made him uncomfortable. Her mind raced, wondering why the scars were a touchy subject for him.

"I'm gonna step outside."

Before she could respond, he had closed the door behind him.

She waited a moment and then decided to follow him out. When she quietly closed the door behind her, she was surprised to find him sitting on the cement floor. His knees were pulled tightly to his chest and he was resting his head on them. He hadn't even heard the door.

"Hey," She whispered softly. "Can I join you?"

He looked up at her with a pained expression and nodded.

She slumped down on the floor next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as he took two quick drags from his cigarette. She could feel his body was tense next to her, and if she wasn't mistaken, felt the slightest bit of shaking from his frame.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She looked deeply into his eyes, trying to search for the right words he needed, as he looked back at her. His face told her everything she needed to know in that moment. Maybe something had broken him at one point. Maybe he wasn't as perfect as he seemed. He looked vulnerable, even fragile.

"I can't," He said as his low voice cracked.

"It's okay. We'll just sit here."

He just nodded, thankful to feel her beside him, and took long drags from his cigarette.

* * *

"How is your burn doing?"

"It's okay. It stings a little."

"Do you mind if I put something on it?"

He just shook his head in response and she left and came back a moment later with a large band aid and some ointment. She lifted his shirt just enough to show those defined, solid abs she had drooled over earlier. The energy in the air had changed since she had touched his scar and she wished she could put a finger on what he was feeling.

She dipped her finger in the ointment and gently rubbed it over the burn, smiling comfortingly at him as he breathed in deep and sighed. Once she had rubbed it in well, she securely placed the band-aid over the mark. She surprised herself when she started running her fingers over the small amount of exposed skin. She couldn't help but notice another tiny scar, right above the waist of his belt, and before she could think of what she was doing, she ran her small hand over it gently.

He reached out, firmly gripping her hand, but not so much that it hurt her. She looked up at him and his eyes were tightly closed and his jaw was set again in that tense, uncomfortable way he had done earlier.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that."

He just shook his head, still gripping her hand. She moved closer to him, cautiously, to where she was sitting beside him, up on her knees. She gently shook her hand out of his grasp and placed both hands on each side of his face. She didn't miss how his jaw relaxed at her touch.

"Hey," She whispered. "I'm sorry."

He leaned his forehead forward against hers with a sigh. Her fingers were tracing over his cheeks and he felt like he could breathe again. The thoughts of his past ran through his head but he shook them away, choosing to focus only on the gentle touches of the beautiful woman in front of him.

"It's okay."

He finally opened his eyes and realized how close she was to him. He leaned into her touch, wanting to feel more of her but knowing he couldn't push her further than she was comfortable going. He would wait for her to come to him. She was staring at him with an intense look in her eyes, as if she was searching his features, trying to figure him out.

"I'm going to do something."

"What?"

"I'm going to do something and I want you to let me do it and not do anything else."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm going to kiss you and I don't know if I'm ready but I want to, so just let me."

He looked up at her, surprised, as the words left her mouth. He just nodded, licking his lips, right before he felt hers gently cover his. It was soft. It was gentle. The kiss wasn't hungry or desperate or even the most sexual that they had shared. Instead, he felt as if she was pouring her emotions out through the kiss: showing him that she cared, trying to comfort him. His body seemed to melt, relaxing into her kiss. It stayed just like that for a minute. Innocent. Slow. Perfect.

When she finally pulled away, their foreheads rested against each other for another moment. He couldn't help the smile that tugged on his mouth.

"That was nice," He said in his low, scratchy voice.

"Mhmm."

Suddenly she was staring at him, her face speaking volumes. Her eyes were filled with both fear and hope. She looked desperate. "Please understand that I can't go any further. I'm not ready. Not this time. But I needed that."

"I did, too."

"I'm sorry for being this way. I wish I could let go."

"I'm okay with waiting," He responded, gliding his fingers over her cheek.

* * *

He wasn't really sure where the time had went. They had stayed like that for a long time, in hushed whispers and gentle touches. They hadn't repeated that perfect moment but she had allowed him to place small kisses on her forehead and cheeks and her nose. He was just happy to be there, close to her.

When he realized it was 2am, he also realized they had both dozed off to a movie. He looked down at her, her head in his lap. Her hair was sprawled out over his legs and her face looked peaceful. He ran his fingers through it, enjoying the feel of the silk across his fingers.

"Hey, cupcake," He whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open. She was confused for a second but then realized where she was.

"Hey handsome," She said with a sleepy smile.

Seconds later, it was as if she realized what she had said and her face turned red. He just smiled in return, running his fingers through her hair as she sat up on the couch.

"Cupcake, it's 2am. I should probably head home."

She looked at him for a moment while she scrunched up her forehead and bit her lip. She looked adorable.

"You should stay."

"What?"

"You should stay. It's late. You shouldn't drive."

A cocky smile took over Dean's mouth and he let out a little laugh. "Is that why?"

"Yes!"

"Only reason?"

"_Fuck you_."

"If you want me to stay, I'll stay."

"I do."

"I can sleep here, if it would make you comfortable."

She violently shook her head. "No. Hold me."

He didn't know if it was just sleepy Charlotte or if this was actually what she wanted. He looked at her, trying to search her expression. "Are you sure you're okay with that, princess?"

She just nodded and grabbed his hand, leading him to her room.

She slipped her sweatpants off, revealing little black boy shorts, and climbed up in her big bed. He fought the groan that threatened to escape him. She looked perfect. The underwear covered most of her but he couldn't miss the way her perfect ass spilled out of the bottom. He mentally corrected himself, knowing she wasn't ready. "Is it okay if I take off my jeans?"

She nodded.

He slipped them off and took off his shirt, too, silently hoping she wouldn't ask again about his scars. He slid into bed with her, smiling as she immediately snuggled onto his chest and wrapped her leg around his waist. She was a cuddle monster.

"Goodnight, cupcake," He whispered, placing a kiss to the top of her head and wrapping his arms around her upper body.

"Goodnight."


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:**

I am having a really hard time with this story and am experiencing pretty serious writer's block.

It may be that I have just lost interest in it. Either way, I am going to leave it up for now and try to revisit it in a couple of weeks. I apologize to those of you who look forward to the updates often. I did start a new story - you can find it in my profile - called **92 Days** and I am really excited for it.

Hopefully it won't be too long until I update this again.

Sorry again.


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